The Kaleidoscope of Louds
by Stall Walt
Summary: Through Lisa's alternate reality viewing machine, the Loud Sisters see the infinitely terrifying, heartbreaking, and wondrous possibilities...mostly through the multiple alternate versions of their brother. Latest Chapter - Powder Keg of Justice - Also important author's note in this chapter.
1. Rero Rero Rero

"Lisa, you mind telling why you all called us here?" Lori asked as she checked her messages one more time before putting away her cell phone.

It had been a peaceful Saturday afternoon, or as peaceful as it could around the loud house. Lisa had just called them all into her room in order to tell them about one of her inventions. As such, everyone was either sitting down or standing up, and everyone looked a little cross with the sudden announcement.

"Lisa, you mind telling me why you called us here? I'M MISSING MY SHOWS!" Lola shouted.

"Yeah, the mud outside is starting to dry! I really need my daily dose of dirt and mud." Lana shivered, the past dry days starting to get to her.

"Not to worry, my fellow siblings!" Lisa said as she strode to the front, while something covered with a white tarp awaited here. "I have called you all here today to present THIS!"

With a uncharacteristically excited flourish, Lisa pulled the white tarp off, revealing Lisa's alternate reality viewing machine, now with a larger screen.

"AUGH!" "BLARGH!" The rest of the sisters screamed in horror while Luan grabbed a nearby garbage can and puked into it.

"Lisa, I thought you got rid of that thing. That abominable sight still gives me the creeps." Lucy said, being the first to recover.

"Not to mention Lincoln hasn't recovered yet!" Luna grimaced. "He's still taking therapy on that!"

"Yes yes, I understand your concerns. But this will be different, cross my heart and all four chambers of it."

"I don't know about this, guys…" Leni commented. "What if we come across something like... that again, and Lincoln happens to walk into the room?"

Lynn scoffed. "Leni please, that sounds like something that happens on a lame sitcom… But yeah, I don't want to see a reality where me and Lincoln get...freaky."

"Utterly noted, and not to worry," Lisa said as she booted up the system. "I had spent countless manhours fine-tuning this machine so that all chances of possibilities of that...possibility will not show up."

As the machine began to turn on, Lisa turned back to her sisters, the light reflecting off her glasses in a way that obscured her eyes.

"BEHOLD, MY SIBLINGS! YOU SHALL BE THE FIRST TO WITNESS NEVERENDING POSSIBILITIES, STRETCHING BEYOND YOUR VERY EYES! BEGINNING WITH THIS ONE!"

With that, Lisa moved to the side, the screen turning from a solid black to static that slowly turned to another scene.

" **So, we're finally heading to Istanbul…"**

 **A Harold McBride with more muscle definition stared out the window, watching the background go by. He, Howard McBride, and Pop Pop, who appeared to have worked out like Harold, seemed to have finished their on-board meal.**

" **If the situation wasn't so dire, I would have appreciated this more." Howard commented. Pop Pop rubbed his brow.**

" **I know what you mean. Myrtle would have loved France…"**

Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen. Luan turned to Lisa.

"This is an alternate reality, right?"

Lisa nodded. "Indeed."

Luan whistled. "Dang, this Pop Pop looks good."

"All of them look good." Lori said in awe. "I mean, Clyde's dads looked like a stick and a ball, but here…"

"They would totes make great models." Leni said, before seeing something on the screen and pointing it out. "And look, this Pop Pop has a fedora! I always thought that Pop Pop could pull it off."

Lana sighed. "If our Pop Pop looked like this, I'm gonna miss his belly. I always liked playing on it like a bongo drum."

 **Behind the three, a just as muscled and manly Clyde and Lincoln sat in their own booth, watching the background pass them by.**

If the sight of their Pop Pop and Clyde's parents having muscles made them take notice, then seeing Lincoln and Clyde with muscles made their jaws drop. After a few moments of silence…

"Well, I know my art teacher would definitely call on those two to be models." Luan commented as she looked at them at a purely aesthetic appraising eye.

"Definitely Running Backs." Lynn said, looking at their legs and arms.

Lola couldn't help but smirk. "Guess Lincoln would be so excited if he thought that this was older him."

"Mates, look at that jawline." Luna pointed out. "How old are Clyde and Lincoln in this one?"

The rest of the sisters looked at Luna before looking back at the screen.

"20." "21." "19." "25."

"Have to admit, this Clyde does look kinda handsome… Though now that I said that, none of you ever say that to him. Weird as he is sometimes, I don't want any of you mentioning that to Clyde. Don't want him hurting himself working out…" Lori looked at Lynn.

"You can hurt yourself if you work out too hard, right?"

"Yup."

" **Clyde, you mind if I have those cherries?" Lincoln asked, pointing to the leftovers on Clyde's plate.**

" **Sure, I don't mind." Clyde said offhandly.**

" **Thank you." Lincoln said as he picked one cherry, bit the fruit off the stem and-**

" **Rero rero rero"**

 **-began to roll the cherry around on his tongue, his pink muscle moving all over the little cherry, back and forth, side to side, around and around…**

The girls were completely quiet.

" **Rero rero rero"**

Lisa quietly took her glasses off, breathed on them, and wiped the moisture off them before putting her glasses on again.

Meanwhile, the older sisters moved over to a younger sister and put their hand in front of their eyes.

" **Rero rero rero"**

Luan was about ready to burst out with a joke.

Lynn tapped her on the shoulder and held out a balled sock. As Luan was about to object, she saw the rest of her older sisters glare at her. Sighing in defeat, she put the sock in her mouth and bit on it.

" **Rero rero rero"**

The younger sisters slowly leaned out of the way of the hands.

 **Clyde continued watching the window, though his neutral expression was clearly a bit forced.**

The screen went to static. Everyone turned to Lisa, who was fiddling with the controls. Looking back, she pushed her glasses up.

"I believe I speak for all of us that we should look for something else."

"Yup." "Yeah." "Totes." "Definitely."

Luan raised a finger and was about to pull the sock out.

"You keep putting that sock there until you're ready to not make that joke."

"..."

* * *

Author's Notes:

So...the new story is less a dedicated tale for me to tell, and more like a collection of one-shots, story ideas, or rewrites of scenes from other media, and the sisters (or any other characters) react to the situations that the alternate Lincoln gets in.

Simple concept really.

If you didn't get what was happening here, I would recommend looking up 'rero rero rero' on Youtube. That's all you need to know.

And I know I might be opening the floodgates here, but feel free to make suggestions in the reviews. Just know that it is only a chance that I might do them.

And yes, this is essentially a sequel to 'Strings (Oh God, The Strings)'


	2. Padawan

The screen shifted again…

 **Cutting to a horde of robots with arm cannons shooting laser beams at something offscreen on a desolate wasteland.**

"GAH!" Lisa exclaimed as she immediately reached for the volume control, the rest of the sisters slapping their hands on their ears. As the sudden din was lowered to a more manageable level, everyone let their hands fall from their ears.

"So we went from Lincoln doing...that with cherries, to robots shooting at something… I can see the connection." Lynn joked.

 **The army of robots, human sized burly blue ones with their heads part of their torsos and giant ball with cannons, marched past debris of turbines and other such parts that looked to have been part of something massive.**

"So what does Lincoln have to do with an army of robots?" Luna couldn't help but ask.

Luan raised her hand.

"You're not going to make that joke that you thought of, right?" Lori asked.

Luan nodded.

"Fine, go ahead."

Luan took the sock out of her mouth.

"Maybe he is the leader of this giant army of robots?"

Lola let out some air out of her lips before laughing. "Lincoln? Could he even be a leader?"

"There is a reason he calls himself 'the man with a plan'. Lucy said. "And why we usually don't correct him."

Silence.

"Well, she's got you there, Lols." Lynn said.

As this conversation was going on, Lana scooted closer to Lisa. "Hey, Lisa, what do you think all the debris is from? My bet is on starship."

Lisa looked at the screen. "That does seem like a distinct possibility. I am currently unfamiliar with the current environment… And let's not forget about the laser guns. As far as we know, we do not know the exact technological landscape of this universe."

 **The perspective changed, the army now encircling the wreckage of a destroyed ship, it's fin pointed up to the sky. Compared to the army of robots surrounding it, the wreckage was absolutely massive.**

"Okay, that is definitely a star ship." Lisa said, getting closer to the screen to observe more closely.

"That's so big, like compared to the robots!" Leni exclaimed.

"How big is it?" Lana asked.

"Comparing the average size of the robots to the wreckage...adjusting for pixel size… I would say we would probably be looking at something at least 1.9 km long sticking out of the ground like that."

"...How long is that in miles?" Lola asked.

"1.18060527." Lynn replied promptly. She then looked around at everyone looking at her weirdly. "What? Got to know how far I'm running, and sometimes, my coach likes to use kilometers."

"So...looking at that thing, it's looks like it was cut in half. Are you saying that if that thing was whole, it would be how long?" Luna asked.

"3.8 km long." "Which would be 2.36121 miles." Lisa turned to glare at Lynn.

"Pretty sure that the biggest thing we got is about 381 meters long." Lana dumbly replied, whistling at that news.

"0.236742 miles." Lynn quickly said.

 **As the army marched forward, a metal five fingered claw raised up in the middle, holding its palm. At the sight of this, the robot army stopped firing, holding their arm cannons at attention. The screen moved, revealing the person - or thing- that had ordered them to stop.**

 **Whatever it was, it had its back towards the camera, the rest of its body obscured by the white cloak that it was wearing. The only part that was exposed, clearly looked like it had mechanical parts. The being stood still as robots flanked its sides.**

"...Is that Lincoln?" Leni asked, tilting her head.

"It's a distinct possibility." Lisa conceded.

Lynn looked at the two. "What, because this guy is wearing white?"

"You have to understand that we are dealing with alternate realities here, and that each alternate Lincoln could have developed differently from ours." Lisa explained, like she was talking to a smaller child.

 **Silence reigned over the wreckage.**

 **Then, one by one, shadowed figures came out of the woodwork, running toward the large wrecked hull in the center, their steps were like thunder shattering the silence**

 **However, behind one piece of debris, one face looked over. The...alien, for lack of a better word, was red skinned with a facial structure that suggested that the alien could be a she. The other thing that stood out about the alien was the striped parts of her head that clearly wasn't hair. Two tendrils stood stiffly on top like two horns, while another two tendrils were hanging down and framing the sides of her face.**

" **Why have they stopped?" The alien asked in a feminine voice, exposed her sharpened teeth.**

"...We are definitely not in Kansas anymore." Luan remarked.

"Fascinating!" Lisa said as she came up close. "Actual alien life! And for this lifeform to somehow evolve nearly the way we have save for some differences, truly miraculous!"

"Ehh...I say it's a bit of a let down." Lana said, a little disappointed that the alien onscreen didn't looked more… alien.

" **Master?" A familiar voice asked.**

" **Go, go!" The alien turned to look at the individual.**

 **The rest of the figures ran into an opening in the wrecked hull. Inside, the four figures were truly revealed.**

 **One was a brown-haired human with stubble on his chin, leaning on a piece of debris, his despair hanging over him like a well-worn cloak.**

 **Another was a blue-skinned alien female with two long striped tendrils on her head, sitting on the ground.**

 **The third was a furry sasquatch like alien, with three clawed fingers and toes, with two fangs jutting upwards from his lower jaw.**

 **Finally, the fourth looked to be a regular human, only for the top part of his head to be wrapped up in a long narrow head wrapping.**

"...Wow, those aliens look a lot like us." Lynn commented.

"How strange, that at least three of the four aliens we have observed in this alternate reality have managed to evolve along our lines." Lisa observed.

Leni tilted her head. "...Why does it feel like the aliens here are just people with body paints and extra stuff glued on their heads?"

 **The clothing that each person wore seemed to scream 'humble' even if all the dirt would have been washed away. Brown seemed to be the dominant color among their clothing's color. The people themselves also didn't seem to care about the condition of their clothes, only if it was still functional.**

 **Two more people came into the area. The first was the red skinned alien woman from before, and the other was more familiar.**

 **Stepping into the area, the alternate reality's Lincoln came into view. His facial structure and height indicated that he was probably around his early twenties. He was clad in the humble style of what were clearly his compatriots: a brown tunic and pants, robes and boots, with a brown belt keeping everything tight.**

 **What else marked this Lincoln as different from their own was two things. One, clipped onto his leather utility belt was a metallic tube with a button on the side. The same things could be seen in the possession of the other people, yet with different designs.**

 **Another thing was the small braid of hair that Lincoln had been growing behind his ear, while he kept the rest of his hair neat and tidy.**

"Wow, I am not a fan of this Lincoln's clothes. He definitely needs a stylist." Lola commented.

"EEEE!" Leni squealed. "I know what you mean, but I just looooooooove his little braid thing he grew there.

"Hey, what's that thing he got on his belt? Everyone else has got one like him." Lana pointed out.

 **The furry alien let out a breath of disbelief. "Unstoppable...He is...unstoppable."**

 **The blue skinned alien shook her head. "Never before have we been outmaneuvered by droids before... His strategy is flawless."**

 **The brown haired human seemed to wilt at the other's words, especially at the mention of 'he.' "This is the end… We're all doomed."**

 **Melancholy reigned over the group, before the red skinned alien spoke up. "The situation may indeed seem hopeless, but we cannot forget ourselves. Remember your training, your meditations. We are Jedi."**

 **The group looked up, the melancholy lifting a bit.**

"So Lincoln is a...Jedi in this world? What even is that?" Luan asked.

"I have some theories." Lucy spoke up, surprising everyone around her. "But let's observe some more first."

"Geez, Lucy. Speak up more!" Lynn gasped.

" **Besides," Lincoln said as he held up his wrist, showing a miniature wrist mounted device that was blinking red. "We have advanced recon coming to our positions right now. We just need to hold out."**

 **The now-named Jedi began to get up, now having revitalized spirits and a goal to work towards. But then…**

" **JEDI."**

 **A metallic voice sounded out, the volume and echo making it impossible to make out what direction it was coming from. At its sound and a invisible command from the red skinned alien, the others including Lincoln began to move to different positions in the wreckage. As the sasquatch alien got up, he grasped the metallic tube in his hand and pushed the button.**

 **A green beam of light erupted from the tube, making the whole thing look like a sword, illuminating the sasquatch alien's face as he moved into his position. All around, the others activated their tubes as well, different colored beams of light erupting from their respective tubes. As Lincoln moved into his position, he peered outside through a hole, his yellow beam sword ready at his side.**

"...DUDES, IS THAT A LASERSWORD?! THAT'S SO COOL!" Luna gasped as everyone's eyes grew wide.

"CHECK IT, THEY ALL HAVE ONE!" Lana said as she pointed out everyone getting out their own lightsabers.

"THEY ALSO COME IN DIFFERENT COLORS! I LITERALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE THAT!" Lori squealed.

"...Eh, when they show me a pink lightsword, then I'll be interested." Lola scoffed.

Lynn tapped Lisa on the shoulder.

"Like I would even consider developing a lightsword for you, Lynn."

"Aw…"

" **You are surrounded, your armies decimated. Make peace with the Force, for this will be your final battleground. But know that I, General Grievous, am not without mercy. I will grant you a warrior's death."**

" **PREPARE."**

"Oh right, the giant robot army waiting outside…" Lana rubbed the back of her head. "Kinda forgot about that."

The rest of the sisters nodded their heads.

 **After a few moments of silence, the jedi looking around the area, the red skinned alien heard something in the distance. After a few moments, the comments started to come in.**

" **That noise…"**

" **I can't see him."**

" **Where is he coming from?"**

 **The red skinned alien stood there, utterly sure. "He is coming...alone."**

 **The brown haired human looked back, fear utterly dominating his expression. "WE CAN'T FACE HIM!"**

"That guy is definitely going to crack." Lynn snarked.

 **Lincoln looked back at him. "WE HAVE TO! WE HAVE NO CHOICE!"**

Lynn grimaced. "Nevermind, both of them are going to crack."

 **The brown haired human turned away from his viewing hole. "I HAVE SEEN THAT...MONSTER IN BATTLE. MY MASTER WAS EASILY KILLED BY HIM, WHAT CHANCE DO WE HAVE!"**

 **Just as Lincoln was about to respond- "ENOUGH, PADAWANS! Remember, there is no emotion, there is peace."**

 **The brown haired padawan didn't look convinced as he looked back out the hole. The red skinned alien gave a more pointed look at Lincoln, who looked sheepish as he continued looking outside.**

"Padawans? I thought Linky was a Jedi?" Leni said, looking a little confused.

Lucy hummed. "Maybe Padawan is their word for apprentice, and that braid of theirs is a symbol of being one? The brown haired one has the same braid as Lincoln, and he also said that his master had perished."

Lori blinked. "Wait, did you guys see the way that red skinned alien looked at Lincoln, and the way he looked at her? You think she's Lincoln's master?"

"Wait, what's the point of the braid then? I don't think I see anyone else having that too." Lola said, looking for a braid on the others.

"Perhaps Padawans are meant to cut it off when they became full fledged Jedi." Lucy suggested.

 **A few more moments passed, the tension starting to rise as the sound of Grievous' footsteps echoed, yet no sign of the general could be seen.**

 **Lincoln stepped away from his viewing port, his lightsword at the ready.**

" **He's close, but where?"**

 **The brown haired padawan stepped back, clutching his own lightsword like a drowning person holds on to a piece of driftwood.**

" **IT'S ALL AROUND US!"**

 **Lincoln's master continued staring forward. "Calm yourselves."**

 **The footsteps were getting louder…**

" **Steady…"**

 **Louder.**

 **Sweat began to pour down the side of Lincoln's face as he moved into a reactionary stance. The other padawan looked nervously side to side. A few drops of sweat dripped from Lincoln's master's own face.**

"Definitely going to crack." Lynn sighed.

" **Steady…"**

 **The footsteps stopped, leaving the group suddenly nervous. A few more moments passed…**

" **RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The brown haired padawan cried as he rushed forward into the open.**

" **SHA'A GI!" Lincoln shouted as he chased after him, hoping to grab his fellow padawan back.**

"Told you."

"Wait, doesn't that guy's name sound like 'Shaggy'?" Leni commented.

" **Lincoln, no!" Lincoln's master shouted, raising her hand.**

 **As Sha'a Gi ran into the open, a giant white figure covered in a white cape landed right on top of the brown haired padawan, Lincoln sliding to a stop in horror. The figure stood to his full height before dramatically throwing his arms to the side, revealing himself to be a giant white cyborg. His body shifted, making him bigger than Lincoln.**

 **There were also a couple of the same metallic hilts strapped to the cyborg's hip.**

"I...think that guy's more than cracked…" Luan weakly joked. Seeing everyone look at her, she looked down sheepishly.

"Sorry, probably not the right time for this."

 **Lincoln stood up a stance in front of the cyborg, his features set in a mix of anguish and anger. "COME ON!"**

" **NO!"**

 **Suddenly, Lincoln was pulled back into the wreckage with nobody touching him, as if there was an invisible string tied around his midsection and was pulled with great force.**

"Wait, what just happened?!" Lynn said, standing up.

"I'm not sure." Lisa said as she looked closer at the screen. "I don't think it was a glitch in the viewing port."

"Maybe that's the reason why Jedi exist." Lucy commented.

 **General Grievous leapt up and out of sight.**

 **Lincoln landed on his back, his view now filled with the worried eyes of his master.**

" **Lincoln, we'll have words later. Get up." She said as she helped Lincoln up.**

" **M-Master, I-"**

" **Padawan." Lincoln's master turned to him as the others gathered around in formation. Despite the direness of the situation, there was clearly compassion and understanding reflected in her eyes.**

" **We'll have words later."**

"Huh, is it too hasty to think that Lincoln and his master care about each other from that one conversation?" Leni asked.

"Nah." "No." "Nope."

" **Y-yes." Lincoln said as he was reminded of the situation. Quickly composing himself, Lincoln took his place in the formation, lightsword at the ready as he and the other jedi had their back to each other. Moving as one, they moved deeper into the wreckage.**

"Look up." Luan said.

 **Deeper…**

"Look up." Luan said.

 **Farther in…**

"You really should try looking up." Luan said.

 **Lincoln and the others heard something from above, and could only moved out of the way as General Grievous landed in their midst, holding two lightswords in his hands.**

"Told you." Luan sighed.

 **Lincoln's master moved in, slashing at the general only for the general to block her strike and forced her back. The blue skinned alien's attempts were rebuffed the same. The turban man and sasquatch charged as one, their lightswords meeting the general's own in a deadlock.**

 **Seeing the other two aliens and Lincoln trying to charge at his back, General Grievous spun his torso around, becoming a whirlwind of death. All five charged in, trying to break through the shield of swings to no avail. Slowly, the General moved towards Lincoln's master, forcing her back and making the others follow after.**

"You know, if we didn't see this guy squish that 'Shaggy' guy earlier, he would look a lot more goofier doing this." Luna said.

 **The General stopped spinning and continued his flurry, his relentless assault forcing Lincoln's master to desperately block and deflect each strike. As the blue skinned alien tried to attack the General from behind, he blocked the strike with one lightsword, letting the other drop to his feet. He then grabbed it with his foot and slashed at Lincoln's master, driving her back. With his other lightsword, he pushed the blue skinned alien back as well.**

 **The blue skinned alien slid back before jumping up and striking from the air, only for Grievous to deflect the blow with the lightsword wielded by his foot, letting his other foot grab the other one. As the sasquatch and the turban charged, Grievous stood on his hand, his feet wielding the lightswords with as much skill as his hands as he effortlessly deflected and parried everyone's blows.**

 **Lincoln could only stand to the side, his eyes looking for an opening.**

"Come on, Lincoln! You have to do something!" Lola shouted.

"No good. He can't just move in. If he does, he could get in someone's way or get cut down before he could do anything." Lynn analyzed.

 **General Grievous flipped up into the air, switching the lightswords from his feet to his hands, and fell towards Lincoln's master. Lincoln's master leapt out of the way before General Grievous slammed his lightswords down. Jumping to a high beam, Lincoln's master held out her hand.**

"What is she doing?" Lori asked.

"Are we even sure that she's a she?" Luna questioned. "I mean, their alien race could only have one sex."

 **General Grievous jumped out of the way scant moments before the ground was crushed, as if a force smashed down on it.**

"There it again!" Lisa shouted.

"What was that?" Lana asked

"Perhaps there's some greater power that she could tap into, some greater...force." Lucy commented.

 **The rest of the group looked up as General Grievous landed on the roof, meeting the cyborg's gaze. A second passed before the General jumped from his perch, smashing down on the ground and blowing everyone away, the sasquatch remaining. The clothes that the sasquatch wore were torn off, leaving him bare as he charged forward alone. General Grievous stood to his full height as he met the sasquatch in combat. The two exchanged blows, their lightswords flashing in light with each strike.**

 **The sasquatch tried to disarm Grievous, his lightsword aiming to dislodge the lightsword from Grievous' hand. Grievous quickly let go, the sasquatch's lightsword sailing through the empty space and the sasquatch's body left wide open. Grievous quickly struck the sasquatch through his torso, bringing the sasquatch to his knees as he caught his sword.**

 **General Grievous brought down the lightsword.**

"NO, SASQUATCH!" Lana cried.

"Geez, we don't really know any of these guys' names." Luan grimaced.

 **Lincoln recovered in time to look up, his expression shifting to horror as something fell to the ground.**

 **The White Haired Padawan looked back, seeing a lot of metal debris behind him. Holding out his hand, the metal debris wiggled before slowly rising to the air. Looking back at Grievous, he held out his hand towards him, commanding the debris to shoot forth like bullets at the cyborg. Above him, Lincoln's master followed suit, sending her own debris at Grievous.**

"Wait, Lincoln can do that too?" Lynn questioned.

"Yes, I thought that was an ability that only Lincoln's master had, since she is the only one using it apparently. But if Lincoln, who is supposed to be an apprentice, can do it, then why aren't the rest of these Jedi using it? Laserswords are impressive, but something tells me that these powers would be much more useful." Lisa said, before noticing Lynn and Lana glaring at her.

"Take back what you said about the laserswords."

 **Grievous didn't even look bothered as he slashed and cut his way through the avalanche of debris with almost contemptible ease. The turban man charged at him with his lightsword raised, the blue skinned alien not far from him. As General Grievous slashed at another piece of debris, his foot shot forward and grabbed the turban man by the head and slammed him down on the ground.**

 **The turban man went disturbingly still.**

"...You know, it's surprising we haven't seen blood yet."

 **As the blue skinned alien approached, General Grievous flipped, grabbing the blue skinned alien with his other foot, and sending both people flying up into the roof.**

"And there goes what's-his-name and what's-her-face." Luna grimaced.

"You know, it was really nice of Lincoln to let us know 'Shaggy's' name." Leni interjected.

 **Lincoln gaped. Looking at Grievous now, Lincoln looked like his will was wavering. He took a step back, only for his master to come behind him and lay a hand on his shoulder. Lincoln looked at her, before furiously composing himself as he and his master charged at the cyborg.**

 **Lincoln slashed low. His master slashed high. General Grievous blocked both, only to step back as Lincoln and his master pressed the attack.**

 **Master covered Lincoln's left, and he protected his master's right. The two switched their angles, each one striking from a different height, making the cyborg focus on blocking. The two clearly worked as one, almost dance-like in their movements.**

 **Then General Grievous slashed in the middle, making Lincoln and his master separate. One stood at both sides of the cyborg, light swords at the ready. Just as they were about to charge, the General spun his hands, his light swords transforming into discs of death.**

 **Lincoln and his master gasped at this display, before they started slashing. As Lincoln fought his end, he saw that General Grievous was starting to focus more on his master, the movements on his side starting to slow. Zeroing in, he saw an opportunity to strike. He raised his lightsword and charged in.**

"LINCOLN, DON'T!" Lynn shouted.

 **Then General Grievous kicked him in his stomach, and made him realize that he had fallen to Grievous' feint. Lincoln smacked into some debris, which fell on top of him.**

"Ouch."

 **Grievous whaled on Lincoln's master, free to concentrate fully on her. Lincoln's master gritted her teeth as she was forced to endure the onslaught. However, through the flurry of slashes, she could see some movement from the pile of debris before Lincoln slowly emerged.**

" **Lincoln! HURRY!"**

 **Lincoln snapped back to reality and got out of the debris. Just then, General Grievous struck Lincoln's master's lightsword out of her hands and moved to cut her down. Lincoln's master held out her hand, a desperate attempt to stop the attack. The lightsword was stopped short of her hand, yet Lincoln's master was sent flying, smashing into nearby debris.**

 **She didn't immediately get up.**

"I am seriously pondering the capabilities of this ability they keep showing." Lisa said.

"Shouldn't we be more worried about the fact that Lincoln's the last one standing now?" Lana pointed out.

" **MASTER SHAAK TI!" Lincoln yelled, his face twisted in horror and fear.**

"Oh thank god! I was getting tired of calling her 'Lincoln's master'!" Lynn exclaimed.

Everyone looked at Lynn. Lynn sat around for a while.

"You know, while we're on the naming thing, lightswords could be named something cooler?"

"What would you even suggest?" Lisa inquired.

"Isn't there another name for sword?"

"Saber?" Lucy offered.

"Lightsabers… Yeah, that's better."

 **Then General Grievous turned to face Lincoln. Lincoln took a step back, before seeing his lightsaber on the ground. He held out his hand towards it. The metallic tube wiggled a bit, slowly flying towards Lincoln before General Grievous smashed down on it with his foot.**

 **Lincoln starred as General Grievous stared back, now wielding three lightsabers.**

"That's not good." Leni said, resisting the urge to bite her fingernails.

 **The white haired padawan took a step back, mouth moving a bit.**

 **Then…**

" **Emotion, yet peace."**

 **Lincoln stopped in his tracks.**

" **Ignorance, yet knowledge."**

 **Lincoln took a breath.**

" **Passion, yet serenity."**

 **Lincoln looked at Grevious' belt.**

" **Chaos, yet harmony."**

 **Lincoln held out his hand again. One of Grevious' lightswords flew from his belt. Lincoln caught and ignited it, the blue light of his new sword glowing on his face as he stared down the cyborg.**

 **He shifted his stance, his lightsaber now parallel with his forearm and angled forwards and slightly up. He held out his other hand, extending two fingers and pointing them at Grievous. His dominant foot was set behind.**

 **His eyes screamed defiance at the General.**

" **Death, yet the Force."**

"Lincoln must be some part of warrior monk order. Those words are definitely some sort of meditation." Lucy said.

 **The General leapt into the air, cratering the ground under his feet as he leapt towards Lincoln, his three lightsabers aiming for Lincoln's flesh.**

 **Lincoln's lightsaber met the General's in battle, clashing again and again, a lightshow clashing against itself. Lincoln's movements were tight and focused, making the smallest adjustments to his lightsaber and footwork, creating an absolute defense around him. Try as the cyborg could, Lincoln's defense was unbreakable.**

"This ain't good." Lynn said suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"This style Lincoln using. From what I can see, it's supposed to be some super defensive style, mostly focused to blocking everything from your opponent, until your opponent either gets tired or makes a mistake for you to take advantage of."

"I see…"

"What? What is so bad about that?" Lola asked.

"Does that cyborg look like he's going to get tired anytime soon? Besides, I don't think he could attack in that style without breaking his rhythm. As far as I can see, Lincoln's just buying time."

 **Lincoln struggled to maintain it, the General's offense was just as suffocating.**

 **As Lincoln gave ground to Grievous' assault, the General began to double his slashes, turning from a storm to a hurricane, the colors flashing so much that they began to blur together. The general began to savor the impending doom of the foolish padawan that he began to look deep in his eyes, ready to drink in his final moments.**

 **Then he realized that Lincoln wasn't looking at him.**

 **Hearing something come from behind him, Grievous leaned out of the way, letting a lightsaber sail through the space where his torso was.**

 **It was the lightsaber once used by the fallen sasquatch.**

 **Lincoln caught the lightsaber, then slashed at the General with both lightsabers, one high and one low. General Grievous blocked both with his own lightsabers, one with his hand and the other with his foot. The general gave a snort of amusement as he raised his free lightsaber to bring it down.**

 **Lincoln PUSHED.**

 **The general was sent flying, smashing into some nearby debris. As a dust cloud rose up from the fallen pile, Lincoln panted, his lightsaber still up in guard position as he dropped the other lightsaber to the ground. Sweat poured down the side of his face as he fought to alleviate the soreness of his muscles.**

The rest of the sisters were silent, simply gobsmacked.

"Dude…" Luna breathed.

Lucy noticed Lisa scratching her head. "Something wrong?"

"I don't understand!" Lisa frowned. "What are the capabilities of this ability?! How does it work?"

Lucy shrugged. "Do you need an explanation? Perhaps it is just meant to work."

"Don't be ridiculous, Lucy. There has to be a scientific explanation for this. Maybe it is a some kind of cell in the bloodstream…"

Lisa then shivered.

"Something wrong?" Lucy asked.

"I-I don't know. It was like a million voices suddenly cried out in anger, before returning to where they came…" Lisa said as she tried to control her shivers.

 **Then General Grievous came out of the pile, his once pristine white cape ruined, but otherwise fine.**

"OH COME ON!" Lynn groaned.

" **...Ha ha ha. To think that a padawan could surprise me this much. I commend you, Jedi. Still…"**

 **General Grievous reignited his lightsabers.**

" **You should have tried harder."**

 **With that, General Grievous leapt forward again, immediately assaulting Lincoln.**

 **Lincoln gritted his teeth, forcing his aching body to keep up with Grievous' assault. He had to take a step back, then another, then another. Soon, he was forced to give more and more ground, a desperate attempt to survive a second longer.**

 **Suddenly, General Grievous slashed low with the lightsaber wielded by his foot. Lincoln jumped up, landing a moment later, his balance upset. General Grievous seized that moment, smashing Lincoln's guard and forcing him lower and lower, his lightsaber close to his face. Then in one slash, General Grievous smacked his lightsaber out of his hand.**

" **AUGH!"**

 **Along with his ear and braid.**

"OH MY GOD!" said everyone, their eyes wide open as they saw an alternate version of their brother get maimed.

 **Lincoln, breathing heavily, could only look up. General Grievous raised up his lightsabers, ready to end Lincoln's life. Then he looked up. Lincoln looked back.**

Lisa was about to turn off the viewing port, knowing everyone would be unwilling to see their brother, alternate version or otherwise, die in front of their eyes. Then...

 **There, standing behind him, was a group of soldiers, dressed in white uniforms with blue accents and face covering helmets. Their weaponry ranged from rifles, to miniguns, to…**

"What on earth is that?" Lisa said as she let her hand fall to her side, studying one soldier's weapon. "Is that a… four barrel chest mounted laser cannon? How does that work?"

"Uh...Lisa?" Lori cleared her throat.

"Oh right."

 **The one standing in the front, his uniforms having red accents and two handguns, opened fire, his troops firing as well. Lincoln and General Grievous moved out of the way. Lincoln leapt closer to the soldiers, two of them breaking from formation to escort to the safety of the group.**

"Oh thank you! Back up!" Lynn said. The rest of the sisters sighed in relief.

 **Lincoln looked back at the chaos, still seeing General Grievous dodge the laserfire by running up the walls.**

" **SHOOT HIM DOWN! SHOOT HIM DOWN!"**

 **Just as a few of the troopers shot grenades where Grievous was, he jumped from his spot and landed on the ground, kicking up dust. Lincoln was escorted further back, as a few more troopers moved forward, guns aimed at the dust cloud. Grievous emerged, his lightsabers igniting and cutting down whatever he could get within reach.**

" **Back up now!" The red commander ordered into his wrist mounted communicator. Immediately, a gunship broke through, the nose of it painted to resemble the visage of a terrible beast. The headlights were on Grievous, who stared at the gunship without fear.**

 **Then the guns and missiles fired, driving Grievous away into the field of debris.**

" **Everyone out!" The commander said as the ship doors opened up, the Advanced Recon soldiers moving inside.**

" **NO!" Lincoln said as he rushed forward, being held by the commander. "HE CAN'T LEAVE!"**

"LINCOLN, YOU'RE MISSING AN EAR! GET ON THAT PLANE RIGHT NOW!" Lori screamed.

" **General, we have to leave. The survivors need medical attention."**

"Wait, there's survivors?" Lana exclaimed.

"I believe we can already eliminate Shaggy and that turban guy." Lucy commented.

"Seriously, what was the deal with his turban?" Lynn asked.

 **Lincoln looked at him, surprise in his eyes. Then he nodded as he immediately boarded the ship. A few soldiers gave covering fire before everyone boarded. The ship took flight, flying through an opening as the commander took out a denotator and pushed it.**

 **Outside, a couple of inconspicuous tubes started beeping, a few of the droids looking down. Then they exploded, clearing a path and kicking up dust. The ship sailed through the dust, before ascending up in the air, where no anti-air guns could reach them.**

"Wait, when did they get those there?" Leni asked.

"Considering that group of soldiers and their ship appeared out of nowhere, I wouldn't be surprised if that ship had cloaking technology." Lisa hypothesized.

 **Inside, Lincoln went to the back and gasped at what he saw.**

" **Master Secura." He commented, seeing the blue skinned alien on one bunk, IVs and makeshift bandages covering her. Then he looked at the other occupant.**

" **M-Master Shaak Ti!" He said, joy and relief at seeing his mentor. Though she was in the same condition, Lincoln could see her chest slightly rising up and down.**

" **They're stable, sir. They'll need some extra medical attention, but they'll make it."**

 **Lincoln fell silent, not even noticing the trooper that was started administering first aid to his wound.**

" **They were the only survivors?"**

 **The helmet betrayed nothing.**

" **Yes."**

 **Lincoln looked back down at his master. Just as he heard the commander about to leave, he spoke up.**

" **Commander."**

" **Yes, sir?" The commander said, looking over his shoulder.**

" **The c...the men that had fallen today, who were they?"**

 **The commander turned to face Lincoln completely.**

" **Designations-" "That's not what I'm asking." Lincoln interrupted him.**

" **...We called them Jax, Bolt, John, and Draw."**

 **Lincoln nodded. "They fought bravely, and we owe them and you our lives. Thank you."**

 **The commander nodded. "Yes, sir."**

 **The man left, leaving Lincoln next to his wounded compatriots, not even hissing as the field medic applied antiseptic.**

With that, the viewing port turned off as all the sisters sighed in relief. Lisa made her way to the front.

"I think it is far to say that we should go ahead and rest for today."

The rest of the sisters agreed, going out the door…

Almost running into Lincoln.

"Guys, it's time for dinner. What were you guys doing?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" The sisters said as they moved forward, bringing Lincoln along with them. As they did, Lincoln noticed Leni staring intently at his face.

"Hey Leni, is there something on my face?" Lincoln asked.

"Oh nothing, was just looking at your ear." Leni responded.

"My ear?"

"By the way, you ever thought about growing out your hair?"

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, hope this chapter satisfies.

And as for some further expansion into this Lincoln's background.

This scene came out of Star Wars: Clone Wars, a 2003 mini series set in the star wars universe co-written, produced, and directed by Gennedy Tartakovsky, and was where the character of General Grievous was first introduced.

While the scene is mostly the same admittably, details are different as well as circumstances. Considering that Lincoln was replacing a Jedi Master who had trained under Grand Master Yoda for two decades, I had to conceive of a way that Lincoln could survive against Grievous that didn't involve pure lightsaber skill.

But enough of that, you probably want to know more about what I envisioned about what had happened to Lincoln in the Star Wars.

Discovered to be force-sensitive as an infant, Lincoln was taken away and trained in the ways of the force. Growing up, Lincoln definitely believed in the Jedi, and believed that he had a responsibility to use the force responsibly and to use it to fight against evil and defend what was good in the world. As much as his instructors encouraged this view, they also saw that his sense of responsibility also translated into a sense of guilt should others get injured and he felt like he had a hand in it.

Feeling that such an attachment could lead to imbalance, and therefore temptation into the dark side, he was paired with Jedi Master Shaak Ti, a master known for her technical skill in teaching as well as control of her emotions. Shaak Ti would be a little wary of the pairing, considering the two Padawans she had before Lincoln had risen to the ranks of Jedi Knight fairly quickly, yet died relatively early due to lack of field experience. Before Shaak Ti could protest, war between the Galactic Republic and the Trade Confederation broke out.

Shaak Ti, and Lincoln by extension, were first assigned to the planet of Kamino in order to help train the Republic new Clone Army. Balancing training the clones and Lincoln, the two's relationship were eventually solidified. While the two definitely had some disagreements with each other, Shaak unsure of the Jedi's intervention in the war and Lincoln being all for it, the two start to bond, Lincoln in particular figuring out Shaak Ti's quirks. It was also here that Lincoln interacted with the Clones, and the more that he did, the more he felt unsettled about the idea of breeding an entire people whose sole purpose in life was to fight.

After this assignment, Lincoln and Shaak Ti were assigned to a task force consisting of Aayla Secura, K'Kurhk, and Tarr Seirr in order to assist Jedi Master Daakman Barrek and his Padawan Sha'a Gi in destroying a large droid factory located on the planet Hypori. Almost immediately, things went wrong.

And that is that for now, on the background information.

Also, thinking about his fighting style, I feel training under Master Shaak Ti, he would gravitate towards the Makashi style and Soresu style, or Form II and III respectively. Makashi is said to be the most classic dueling stance, focusing on precision and efficiency in movement. Soresu, as observed by Lynn, is supposed to be the most defensive lightsaber form, first developed in response to blasters becoming more common tech in order to deflect blaster fire more easily. These two forms do have weaknesses. Makashi could be overrun by more aggressive, while Soresu has no true offensive capabilities.

To that end, Lincoln would use these two lightsaber forms in order to further his understanding of the sixth form, Niman. Niman, 'the Diplomat's form', is a jack-of-all-trades form, having broad emphasis on both offense and defense, having no outstanding strengths and weaknesses. Users of this form either use it to focus more on mediation, or are encouraged to use more force-based attacks if one chooses to pursue this form seriously.

As the Wiki describes this form, 'Ultimately, Niman's success in combat was dependent on a practitioner's intuition and creativity in combat...'

Do you guys want me to eventually come back to this universe and see if Lincoln *Spoilers*.

Otherwise, next chapter will come out… some time.


	3. He's a Pirate

"Alright, is everyone okay?" Lisa asked, getting the apparatus started.

"Can we please get a reality where our Lincoln doesn't get maimed? That would be nice, thank you." Lori snarked.

"...Well, you at least said please." Lisa acknowledged, booting up the system.

The screen shifted…

 **In the far off distance, a port could be seen, wooden ships with sails near its harbors.**

 **Just then a flag flapping in the wind appeared, and right next to it, a man stood next to it, paying no attention to the wind. The perspective shifted, revealing the Lincoln of this reality.**

 **Lincoln looked like he was in his early thirties. He had a brown coat with over a faded blue waistcoat and a dirty white loose shirt. A red sash was tied around his waist, the tail of it nearly going down to mid thigh. His trousers and long boots seemed weather beaten and worn like the rest of his clothes.**

 **Belts and buckles kept his outfit tight and allowed to attach other things on them. In one belt, he stowed a flintlock pistol. On one strap, he attached an old looking compass. On another, he carried a cutlass in its scabbard.**

 **Finally, he mostly kept his hair short, though it was hard to tell with the faded right bandana and tricorn hat that he wore. However, he did grow out some locks and turned them into braids. Finally, this Lincoln managed to grow a goatee, thought it looked unkempt and untrimmed.**

"COOL, LINCOLN IS A PIRATE IN THIS ONE!" Lana cheered.

"How do you know that? From all we know, he could just be a weirdly dressed sailor." Lori said.

"DRESSED LIKE THAT? NO WAY! Sure, he could use an eyepatch and a parrot on his shoulder, but he's totally a pirate!" Lana began to get lost in her fantasies of cannonballs, the high seas and keelhauling.

"Wait, that means that he hasn't been able to bathe in a while, doesn't it?" Lola shivered.

"That's just grody, dude." Luna remarked, her tongue sticking out a bit in disgust.

Lisa noticed Leni rubbing her chin as she observed Lincoln.

"What exactly you are observing, Leni?" Lisa asked as she came close.

"Oh, trying to figure out which century Lincoln's clothes are from." Leni replied, her eyes still stuck on the image.

Lisa hmm'ed. "What do you think so far?"

"Well," Leni said as she mentally collected her notes. "I would say maybe 15-16th century. Give me a few more minutes, I can probably narrow it down."

 **A few moments passed as Lincoln stared off into the distance, admittedly looking quite dashing. Looking down, he did a double take and grabbed a nearby rope. Jumping from the rig, he slid down the rope…**

"OH YEAH! HERE IT COMES! THIS LINCOLN IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING COOL!" Lana cheered.

"HE BETTER!" Lynn replied, hoping to see some more action happen in front of her.

The rest of the siblings couldn't help but be on their edge of their seats.

 **And landed in ankle deep water.**

"...What?"

The rest of the siblings fell off their metaphorical seats.

 **The screen backed up, revealing this Lincoln's ship to be a small schooner with some fishing equipment and was rapidly taking in water. Lincoln waded around the vessel, first looking on one side, then to the other. Finally, he picked up a floating bucket, scooped up some of the water with it and dumped the water over the side.**

"...Wow, Lincoln stinks as a pirate." Lola commented.

"Probably not as bad as his hygiene!" Luan laughed. "Get it?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Lana said, can't help but feeling a bit disappointed.

"Want to change the channel?" Lisa said as she reached for the controls. "I believe there is nothing much to observe."

"WAIT! I almost got it!" Leni cried out. Lisa looked around, seeing that the rest of her sisters were willing to let Leni finish her fashion analysis.

"Very well…"

 **Lincoln sighed in response to that slight exertion, revealing one of his teeth was gold capped, and that the rest was decent for an era without real proper dental hygiene.**

 **As he scooped up some more water and dumped it over the side, he looked idly to the side. Suddenly, he stopped scooping water and simply continued staring, dropped the bucket. The bucket hit the side and dropped overboard, yet Lincoln didn't even notice.**

"Uh, Lincoln, you dropped your bucket there. You probably want that for your sinking ship?" Luna said.

"What's he even looking at?" Lori asked.

 **In a natural alcove, three skeletons in weather beaten rags swung from nooses tied around their necks, the ropes tied to a wooden beam. Lincoln looked closely at the nearby sign that was hanging near them.**

 **The sign read 'Pirates Ye Be Warned.'**

"..." Everyone in the room gone bone white.

"Wait, is everyone really surprised that such things could happen to a pirate?" Lucy commented.

"More like horrified…" Luan replied.

Luna grimaced. "Dude…Harsh."

 **Lincoln took off his hat and placed it over his heart. As his boat passed by, he also gave a solemn two finger salute. As the gruesome sight passed, he placed his hat back on his head as he looked around for the bucket. He looked puzzled as he gave a cursory look around his boat, his worriedly flooded boat.**

 **On a merchant boat, people were on rowboats transferring goods from them, ranging from wool, barrels and livestock. They shouted and coordinated themselves, trying to get everything ready for the voyage that was sure to come. As one man with a greying grabbed hold of a bleating goat, he was about to pass the animal off when he spotted something in the water. Pausing a bit, he looked more carefully.**

 **Slowly floating by him was a wooden bucket.**

"I think we can definitely say we're changing-" "NO!"

Lisa turned to Leni.

"Almost have it."

 **His attention was soon taken by the fact that he could hear the rest of the workers quiet down. Looking up, his mouth slowly hung open, barely keeping hold on the goat. The goat looked at what the men were looking, before losing interest.**

"Ok, what are they looking at?"

 **Lincoln paid no attention to everything staring at him, standing on the rigging as he waited for his rapidly sinking ship to sail next to a dock. As the boat's forward momentum started to slow, Lincoln raised his foot and waited. Once within range, he stepped onto the dock and walked away without losing stride.**

"..." The sisters could only stare at the screen.

"Dudes…" Luna spoke up first. "This Lincoln may be a pretty bad pirate, but DANG! He's got style!"

Luan nodded sagely. "Style isn't something you can buy…"

Lola scoffed. "This Lincoln is still a disgusting pirate… but I'll give him credit for that one.

Lana's eyes were practically shining. "SOOOOOOO COOL!"

 **Lincoln passed by a official looking spectacles wearing man holding a book and pen, with a small black boy with drab clothing following behind him. Having his nose in the book, he looked up, realized that someone had left a boat in a designated area (regardless of condition). Looking around, he spotted Lincoln and immediately ran towards him.**

" **EXCUSE ME, SIR!"**

 **Lincoln paused and turned around, looking at the official quizzically. "Yes, how I can help you, sir?"**

 **The official adjusted his spectacles and got out his book and pen.**

" **I'm afraid you cannot just tie your boat here in this port. Regardless of the condition of your vessel," The man and Lincoln took another look at the sad state of Lincoln's boat. "You must still pay the fine of one shilling. While we are on the subject of proper procedure, what's your name?"**

 **Lincoln quietly held up a finger as he dug around in his pockets. Taking out some money, he counted it out and nodded to himself. He dropped the money on the pages of the official's book, revealing it to be three shillings.**

" **How I pay you three shillings, and we forget the name?"**

 **The man stared at Lincoln, before smiling. "While to Port Royal, Mr. Smith, the finest port in the Caribbean."**

"Wow, one shilling? That must be cheap!" Leni reacted.

"Pretty much." Lisa said as she adjusted her glasses. "In modern times, a shilling would worth about 1/20th of a pound."

Lori whistled. "So like two dimes?"

Lisa nodded. "Roughly."

"It's like Pop-pop's stories when he could buy a piece of candy for a nickel." Lynn added.

 **Lincoln clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow as the man turned his back. The black boy's stare lingered on him before turning away. As Lincoln walked near a desk, most likely belonging to the official, he spotted a small bag. Grabbing it, he shook it next to his ear, confirming money inside. A small smile bloomed on his own face as he quickly dropped the money pouch into his own pockets before walking away.**

"Well… It's a start." Lana remarked, seeing Pirate!Lincoln steal someone's money.

 **Walking through the harbor, Lincoln looked around, his gait seemingly unsteady with his arms slightly out to balance himself. Passing by a man who had set down his drink and was distracted by talking with his friend, Lincoln quickly swiped the bottle from the place and continued on his merry way, mindful of the gossip about some big shindig up in the fort. Sniffing the opening, he smiled and took a long swig from the bottle. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he soon spotted something off in the distance.**

 **Getting closer to it, Lincoln gave an appreciative nod. There, sitting in its dock was a fine ship even for his standards. A brig with a blue and yellow hull, it stood head and shoulders over Lincoln's old boat. Lincoln, staring at the boat, drained the bottle and tossed it over his shoulder as he walked onto the dock proper, lazily spinning around as he took in the sights.**

"Okay, something doesn't make sense to me." Lori spoke up. "What exactly is Lincoln doing here?"

"Didn't you see his boat? It sunk. He needs a new one." Luan explained.

 **As he did, he was unmindful of the two redcoats that were lazing around. The shorter one, hearing someone on the planks of the dock, raised his hat and saw Lincoln. Turning to his more rotund compatriot, he smacked the man on the shoulder. The other man awoke from his nap, his eyes widening as he saw Lincoln as well. Quickly grabbing their muskets, the two rushed over and formed a wall in front of Lincoln, preventing him from boarding.**

" **This dock is off limits to civilians." The shorter one said, trying to preserve what authority he had left.**

"...So he went to a port that has soldiers there?" Lori asked incredulously.

"That does seem incredibly foolish." Lucy commented.

Lynn tapped her chin. "Something seems about those two. Think I saw them hang out with Lincoln's friend, the carrot top guy…"

"I GOT IT!" Leni exclaimed, startling everyone. "That's totes 17th century clothing!"

"You mean the 1600s?" Lisa asked.

Leni looked confused at Lisa.

"What? I mean the 1700s. Isn't that the 17th century?"

 **Lincoln looked apologetic. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that. You know, if I see one, I shall inform you fine gentlemen."**

 **Lincoln tried to move past them, only for the two to reposition themselves in front of him.**

 **Lincoln looked nonplussed. "You know, last I heard, there was some grand ceremony taking place up in that fort. Which begs the question, how did such dutiful fine soldiers like yourselves not merit a invitation?"**

 **The men looked slightly downcast at that.**

" **Someone has to make sure that the dock stays off limits to civilians." The shorter one's response even seemed more like he was trying to convince himself of the importance of his task.**

"Dang, kinda feel bad for them." Lana remarked.

"What, so they should laze around at someone's ceremony?" Lola joked.

" **What, for this boat? No offense, this does seem like a fine boat, but that-" Lincoln said as he took a few steps to the side, only for the soldiers to readjust their position. Lincoln tried not to look annoyed.**

" **That ship over there makes this one seem a bit superfluous, wouldn't you say?"**

 **The soldiers turned to regard the ship that Lincoln had pointed out. It was clearly bigger, more armed, and more staffed. The soldiers turned back.**

" **Yes, the Dauntless is indeed the most powerful and finest ship in the fleet, but no ship in the Caribbean can match the Interceptor here for speed."**

 **Lincoln looked impressed. "No ship in the Caribbean?"**

 **The bigger soldier nodded. "None."**

"Hmm… I am unsure what kind of person this Lincoln." Lucy mused. "There are times that he looks and talks like a fool. Yet there always seems to be something there…"

Lynn scoffed. "Lucy, this Lincoln doesn't even have his own boat. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised that he sunk enough boats for him to practice that trick he did at the docks."

"Actually, I think I see what Lucy is saying." Lola replied. "He managed to squeeze out some info from those guys even though he looks so much like a pirate."

 **Lincoln stroked his chin. "Well… I've heard of one. Very fast, nigh uncatchable… The Black Pearl."**

"...How many people think that he's totally talking about his ship?" Lori asked.

Everyone raised their hands.

 **The bigger soldier snorted in derision. "No REAL ship in the Caribbean can match the Interceptor for speed."**

 **As the bigger soldier smirked, the shorter soldier looked contemplative, before looking at his compatriot. "The Black Pearl is a real ship."**

 **The bigger soldier looked at the shorter soldier, his smirk dimming a bit. "No. No it's not."**

" **Yes it is. I've seen it."**

" **...You've seen it."**

" **Yes."**

" **You haven't seen it."**

" **Yes, I have."**

" **You seen a ship with black sails, crewed by the damned, and captained by a man so evil, Hell itself spat him back out?"**

" **No… But I have seen a ship with black sails."**

" **Oh… and no ship that's not crewed by the damned, and captained by a man so evil, Hell itself spat him back out, COULD possibly have black sails, and COULD possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?"**

" **...No."**

" **Like I said," The bigger soldier said as he turned from his compatriot to face Lincoln again. "No real ship could match the Interceptor in speed."**

 **Lincoln wasn't there.**

"I take it back." Lola groaned. "As if tricking these idiots can be considered an achievement."

Lucy nodded. "In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king."

 **The two soldiers looked around the area, before spotting Lincoln standing in front of the steering wheel of the boat.**

" **HEY!"**

"...I think this Lincoln is just as blind as everyone else. He's just stupidly luckier." Lisa remarked.

 **Lincoln looked up from the wheel to see the two soldiers quickly boarding the ship. As they approached, the two aimed their muskets at him. Despite the firearms aimed at him, Lincoln's expression didn't change at all.**

" **Sir, I need you to step away from the wheel!" The shorter one ordered.**

 **Lincoln calmly let go of the wheel. "I'm terribly sorry, gentlemen. I couldn't help myself, this is quite a lovely boat, I mean ship."**

 **The bigger one started at him. "What's your name civilian?"**

 **Lincoln took a moment to think. "Smith! Mr. Smith, if you prefer."**

 **The bigger soldier looked at his compatriot before turning back. "Well then, 'Mr. Smith', mind I ask you what's your business here in Port Royal?"**

" **NO LIES!" The shorter one interjected.**

" **Yes, no lies." The bigger one confirmed.**

 **Lincoln looked at the two, before sighing, walking around the wheel and grabbing a nearby rope, letting his hand hang on it.**

" **Very well. You caught me. My business here was to commandeer one of these ships, sail to Tortuga to pick up a crew and then raid, pillage, and plunder my wicked black guts out."**

"...Well, I'm back to square one." Lucy remarked.

"Seriously, what is this Lincoln?" Lori asked.

"Probably drank one too many bottles of rum and just managed to miss all the potholes." Lana said.

 **The two soldiers looked at each other.**

" **I said no lies!" The shorter one shouted.**

" **...I think he's telling the truth." The bigger one said, leaning a bit closer to his compatriot.**

 **The shorter one looked incredulous at his compatriot. "If he was telling the truth, then he wouldn't have told us."**

 **Lincoln smirked. "Yes indeed. If I was lying, then let the most beautiful maidens just fall from the sky."**

 **SPLASH!**

 **All three turned around, able to see the outline of a woman in a dress before she sank deeper into the ocean. The soldiers looked at Lincoln. Lincoln stared back.**

" **For the record, I would like to say that I did say 'maidens'."**

"...That happened."

 **Lincoln looked over the side with the two soldiers, waiting a bit before grimacing.**

" **Frankly, quite the miracle that she managed to miss those rocks. But she isn't coming up." Lincoln looked at the two soldiers standing at his sides. "Are you going to do anything about it?"**

" **What?" The bigger soldier said, slightly confused. "I can't swim!"**

 **Lincoln turned to the shorter soldier. He simply shrugged.**

 **The white haired pirate frowned. "Best and brightest of the King's navy right here. Fine, hold on."**

 **With that, Lincoln began to strip himself of all his tools and his longcoat, and shoving them all into the bigger soldier's arms. Taking his hat off his head, he placed it gently on top of the pile and climbed onto the railing. As he prepared to jump, he turned to the bigger soldier and leveled a finger at him.**

" **I'm trusting you, don't lose those, or give them away, understand?"**

"Okay, seriously, what is this Lincoln? He's a pirate, and he's going to risk his life to save some person he doesn't even know?!" Lola asked.

"He could just be using the woman to escape into the water."

Everyone turned to Lucy.

"Lucy...even for you, that's pretty dark." Lana remarked.

 **With that, Lincoln dived into the water, disappearing into the depths. The two soldiers were watching when...something pulsed through the water. It quickly vanished into the horizon. A few moments passed before the two soldiers looked at each other.**

" **...What was that?"**

Lynn chuckled. "Must have been holding that one in."

 **Lincoln swam to the sandy floor, seeing the unconscious women before him, looking like she was deep in slumber. Getting close to her, he grabbed her by the waist and started to swim towards the surface. His legs and free arm pumped as hard as they could, trying to swim faster.**

 **It was also a few moments later that Lincoln realized that he was swimming slower than usual. Quickly checking over himself, he saw no other loose objects on his person that could possibly drag him down. That meant, the thing dragging him and the woman down was…**

 **His eyes quickly zeroed in on the large noble dress that the woman was wearing. Fashion, Lincoln thought to himself as he quickly swam down to the woman's height. Reaching around, he managed to take the dress off. Leaving the dress to float back down to the ocean floor, Lincoln swam back to the surface with the woman in tow.**

"Are you alright, Leni?" Lori asked as she saw Leni cover her mouth, some tears in her eyes.

"I-I'll be fine." Leni whispered. 'It was for the greater good, Leni. It was for the greater good.'

 **His head breaking the surface, he took a breath before continuing to swim towards the wooden dock. The shorter soldier helped him get the girl onto solid ground while the bigger soldier looked on, still carrying his stuff. As the two laid the woman down on her back, her face was revealed.**

Luna stood up. "OH MY GOD, TABBY!"

"Luna, calm down. It's not your Tabby. It is an alternate version." Lisa said, trying to give Luna some comfort. "Besides, judging from the time that Tabby spent underwater, as long as they give CPR soon, Tabby will be fine."

Luan looked at Lisa. "When was CPR invented?"

Lisa blinked. "Okay, there might be bit of a problem."

 **The shorter soldier looked panicked as he observed the alternate Tabby's chest wasn't moving.**

" **She's not breathing!"**

 **Lincoln didn't look worried, grabbing onto the corset that Tabby had on and ripped it open. Almost immediately, the woman awoke, coughing and spitting out water. Lincoln handed the torn corset to the short soldier, who took it with stunned awe.**

" **Never would have thought of that."**

"That of course works." Lisa said. Luna said nothing other than breathing in relief.

"Leni, you okay?" Lori asked.

Leni nodded. "Yeah, always thought corsets was a dumb idea."

" **Clearly you've never been to Singapore, mate." Lincoln quipped as he spotted something around Tabby's neck. Grasping it, he brought it out into the open, revealing it to be a gold coin with a skull and what looked to be Aztec art around it. Suddenly, there was a light of recognition in his eyes.**

" **Where did you get this?"**

"Everyone looked at Lucy.

"Probably definitely cursed."

Lynn looked back at Lisa.

"What, you're not going to try to argue that it is somehow not magic?"

Lisa adjusted her glasses. "I'm willing to believe that this world might have different rules than ours. At least in the Star Wars universe-"

"Star Wars universe?"

"That's what I'm planning to call that alternate reality. Anyways, with that universe's level of technology, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some biological reason that Lincoln and the others managed to perform the feats that they did. Here, we are clearly working in the 18th century, where there is no evidence of advanced technology. Ergo, we are clearly witnessing something that cannot be explained with our own context."

"...Okay."

 **Before Tabby could respond, Lincoln became much more interested in the sword that placed itself against his throat. Looking up, he saw a man dressed up and looked to be someone of high importance in the military. Looking around, he saw other red coated soldiers moving into the dock.**

" **On your feet, now." The Officer said in no certain terms. As Lincoln got to his feet, the Officer looked down at Tabby, his eyes firmly on Tabby's face.**

" **Are you alright, Miss Swann?" He said, some tenderness entering his voice. Lincoln couldn't help but look a bit interested in that fact.**

"Wait, I recognize that guy. He was the one that Lincoln was hoping to impress by mooching off my job. What was his name?" Lori said.

"I think his name was Chandler." Lana guessed.

"Wouldn't know why." Lola scoffed. "From what I heard, he was throwing his birthday party at the sewer treatment plant, and all the fifth graders were talking about it like it was the go-to event of the year."

Everyone turned to stare at Lola.

"Really?" Lynn asked.

"Dude's got a future in something." Luna whistled.

"Bet he could sell ice to Eskimos." Luan joked.

" **Y-Yes, I'm fine." Tabby said as she unsteadily started to get to her feet. The Officer looked around, nodding at seeing the soldiers' under his command avert their gaze. He turned his attention to the shorter soldier, still holding the torn corset.**

 **The soldier looked at his hands before immediately dropping it, holding up his hands.**

" **TABITHA! TABITHA!"**

 **A much older man came running onto the dock, pushing through the soldiers. As soon as he saw Tabby's state of undress, he immediately started looking around. Seeing a drab cloak sitting on a crate, he quickly grabbed it and dusted it off as best he could before walking up and draping it over Tabby's shoulders. Tabby quietly fell into the man's arms, who hugged her tightly.**

 **Tabby's father then looked at Tabby's state of undress, to Lincoln and his shabby and dirty appearance.**

" **Shoot him."**

"WOAH! THAT'S WAY TOO HARSH!" Lana exclaimed.

"Not really. I mean, pretty sure that she's basically in her underwear underneath some strange guy. Pretty sure Dad would do worse." Leni explained.

Lori nodded, remembering the time that Dad walked into one of her and Bobby's more… heated makeouts.

Bobby took a while to regain his nerves to show up at the house.

 **At that command, a couple of soldiers stepped forward, their muskets brought to bear. Tabby's eyes opened wide as she looked at her father.**

" **Father, you're being too hasty!" Looking around, she looked at the Officer. "Commodore Chandler, you can't give that order."**

 **Commodore Chandler looked at Tabby, then at Tabby's father, before finally stopping to stare at Lincoln. Lincoln stood absolutely still, his eyes looking up from the Commodore's sword.**

" **...Hold your fire." The soldiers stopped pointing their muskets at Lincoln, returning to the at ease position. Commodore Chandler himself sheathed his sword, before holding out his hand.**

" **Well, I suppose thanks is in order. You have saved the Governor's daughter, and for that, Port Royal is grateful."**

"Don't take it, it's a trap!" Luan exclaimed.

 **Lincoln looked at the hand, then at Commodore Chandler's face, before smiling and grasping the Commodore's hand. Almost immediately, the Commodore pulled on Lincoln's arm, pulling up his sleeve in the process. There, branded on his wrist was a small P.**

 **The Commodore tutted. The few soldiers near the Commodore saw the P, their gazes at Lincoln turning a bit harder. Tabby herself looked at Lincoln with a bit of fear and fascination.**

"Oh my god." Luan said, putting her face in her hands.

" **So...had a run-in with the East India Trading Company, pirate?"**

 **Pulling up Lincoln's sleeve further, he exposed a tattoo of a sparrow flying over a sunset. The Commodore pursed his lips, thinking for a moment, before he looked up.**

" **Or should I say, Lincoln Sparrow?"**

 **Lincoln let go of the Commodore's hand. "Captain. Captain Link Sparrow."**

"...Why is he a sparrow?" Lynn asked. "Why not a bear, or a shark, or a snake? I mean, aren't sparrows those birds that flap their wings really fast and hum?"

"You're thinking about hummingbirds." Lisa corrected Lynn.

" **Captain, you say?" Commodore Chandler looked around. "Strange, where's your ship?"**

 **Lincoln grimaced. "I was in the process to procuring a ship."**

"Seriously, what was his plan coming into this port?!" Lori asked.

"Probably was thinking it up as he went." Lola joked.

" **Oh, sir!" The bigger soldier said, holding out Lincoln's possessions. "These are his effects."**

 **Lincoln mildly glared at the bigger soldier as Commodore Chandler inspected Lincoln's belonging, picking up Lincoln's pistol.**

" **One pistol with one bullet and no additional shot."**

 **Dropping it back into the bundle, Commodore Chandler noticed a small brown box. Grabbing it, he opened it up to reveal a compass. However, the needle never seemed to point straight up. As Commodore Chandler turned around trying to adjust the needle, he turned in Tabitha's direction. The needle pointed in her direction, and no matter what, it never seemed to move away. The Commodore scoffed.**

"Must be a defective compass due to shoddy 18th century construction." Lisa guessed.

"Well, we are dealing with a reality that has magic in it. I'm pretty sure that compass was pointing towards Tabby." Lucy observed.

"Aww… a compass that points you to your destined love. So romantic…" Lori sighed.

Luna scoffed. "Eh...Tabby could do better."

" **A compass that doesn't point north." Commodore Chandler gave Lincoln a look as he dropped the compass back on the bundle. Then he drew Lincoln's sword, a bit of surprise as he observed the sword's decent condition.**

" **And I half expected it to be made of wood." Commodore Chandler remarked as he put the sword back into the sheath.**

" **You are the worst pirate I've ever heard."**

 **Lincoln held up his hands, smiling a bit.**

" **But you have heard of me."**

"...Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing." Leni said.

"Could be both." Luan said.

 **Tabitha's father, the Governor, looked at Lincoln in a new light.**

" **Hang him."**

 **Commodore Chandler nodded, gesturing to one of his men to come forward with their version of handcuffs. As the soldier grabbed Lincoln by the arm, Tabby looked between her father and Commodore Chandler. Her lips pursed before she got out of her father's arms.**

" **COMMODORE, THIS ISN'T RIGHT!"**

 **The Commodore didn't respond. Struggling to keep a snarl off her face, she walked over and stood in front of Lincoln, separating him from the troops. Lincoln leaned over, looking unsure as the soldier applied the handcuffs on him.**

" **Pirate or not, this man saved my life!"**

Luna nodded. "That's my Tabbs. 18th century or 21th century, still a righteous soul!"

 **Commodore Chandler didn't visibly react. "Yes, but one good deed does not absolve a man for a lifetime of wickedness."**

" **But it seems like enough to condemn him." Lincoln joked.**

" **Indeed." Commodore Chandler replied simply.**

 **The soldier finished applying the handcuffs on Lincoln, and turned away to look at the Commodore. As the Commodore nodded, everyone's attention was on him. They all missed the dark gleam in Lincoln's eyes.**

" **Finally."**

 **Suddenly, Tabby found a chain around her throat, pulling her into Lincoln's clutches.**

" **NO!" Tabby's father cried out, the soldiers starting towards Tabby, some aiming their muskets at the two. Tabby's father realized this quickly. "DON'T SHOOT!"**

 **Lincoln smiled as he brought his mouth close to Tabby's ear. "I knew you'd warm up to me."**

"...Wow, I actually kind of forgot Lincoln was a pirate." Luna admitted.

"Couldn't Lincoln have waited until Tabby did something? I mean, I'm sure she could have done something." Lana asked.

Lola shook her head. "Please, as if being the daughter of the Governor could actually mean some actual power in the legal system."

 **The white haired pirate looked back at Commodore Chandler. "Commodore! My effects please… Oh, and my hat too."**

 **The soldiers and Tabby's father looked nervous, unsure of what to do. The Commodore nodded his head. The soldier holding Lincoln's belongings slowly stretched the bundle out towards the duo.**

" **Milady, if you please."**

 **Tabby grabbed the bundle, glaring at the stuff in her hands. Quickly, Lincoln reached over and grabbed the gun. Pulling back the hammer, he aimed it right at Tabby's temple.**

" **Do you know how to put these things on a person?"**

 **Tabby scoffed.**

" **I know."**

 **With that, she turned around and plopped the hat right on Lincoln's head, covering his eyes for a bit before she readjusted the brim. As she reached around his torso to connect his belt, Lincoln leaned in, making it look like the two were embracing. He looked up and smirked at Commodore Chandler, who briefly looked away.**

" **Oh, easy there." Lincoln said as he felt a spot get a little too tight for his liking. "Don't bruise the merchandise.**

"Dude, this Lincoln can sure be slimy." Luna shivered.

"I can practically feel the sleaziness." Lola confirmed.

"Still, this Lincoln is surrounded by guards, with only a hostage. Pretty sure he's done for here." Lori said.

"Yeah." "No doubt." "It was kind of nice to meet this Lincoln."

Only Luan looked comtemplative.

"Luan, you alright?" Luna asked.

"I don't know." Luan replied. "There's something telling me that this Lincoln still has a card to play.

" **You're despicable." She hissed.**

" **Sticks and stones, dear." He replied as he turned her back to face the soldiers.**

" **GENTLEMEN! And milady," Lincoln sneered as he walked backwards, Tabby still in his clutches. "YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DAY YOU ALMOST CAUGHT CAPTAIN LINK SPARROW!"**

 **With that, Lincoln pushed Tabby into the crowd of soldiers, before running back and kicking a pulley. Immediately, he grabbed the rope and was brought up into the air before any of the rushing soldiers could catch him. On the other end, a cannon fell down, smashing through the dock.**

 **Lincoln sprung up to the top of the pulley, the rope pulling and the whole apparatus starting to swing around. Lincoln could only shout as he spun around.**

"...That's a heck of a card to play." Luan remarked as everyone stood slack-jawed.

"HOW? HOW DID HE COME UP WITH THAT!" Lisa asked in utter shock.

"Didn't you hear him?" Lana replied. "He's Captain Link Sparrow."

"Definitely must have practiced that line a couple of times." Lynn commented.

 **Below, Tabby's father came next to Commodore Chandler, who was holding Tabby close to him.**

" **NOW WILL YOU SHOOT HIM?!"**

" **OPEN FIRE!"**

 **The redcoats aimed their muskets and fired, a cacophony of thunder echoing one after another. Bullets whizzed past Lincoln's body as he gritted his teeth, getting closer and closer to his destination. Finally, he landed on top of a post, next to a tightrope.**

 **Taking a deep breath, Lincoln flipped the chain over the rope… Then stepped off the post.**

 **A redcoat reloading his musket looked up and dropped his shot as he saw Lincoln slide down a rope with his chains. His fellow soldier smacked him on the shoulder before he took aim and shot at Lincoln. It was to no avail, as Lincoln landed on the ground and started running into the town, civilians screaming as they got away from the gunfire.**

"KIDS!"

Everyone jumped as Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. burst into the room.

"GET DOWN TO THE BASEMENT! THERE'S GUNfire…"

The two parents couldn't help but stare at the machine that their daughters had been watching. Lisa went over and turned off the machine.

"Well… I think we can all say we got a little too overexcited."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yep, a Captain Link Sparrow universe.

I remember asking or anticipating one author who was doing a story like this to do this. He did it, just didn't actually show the part that I wanted to see. So here I am, doing it myself.

Also admit, just realized writing this chapter, what was Jack Sparrow's plan coming to Port Royal in the first movie? Was he really hope to steal a ship in a port where the royal navy was parked?


	4. Chef Lincoln

"Lisa, didn't we tell you to take this apart? You know the effects this thing had on your brother! Not to mention you scared us all with that gunfire. I thought that someone was trying to shoot up the house!" Lynn Loud Sr said, he and Rita Loud staring disapprovingly at the sisters, who tried not to stare directly into their parents' ire.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?" Lynn Sr asked. The sisters remained quiet, before Lisa spoke up.

"Father, Mother, please listen. I understand that my device has caused Lincoln undue emotional distress. But please know that I didn't mean to turn to those dimensions. I didn't mean to…"

Both parents looked sympathetic as Rita laid a hand on Lisa's shoulder. "I know. But we can't risk Lincoln getting triggered again. We're going to have to ask you to dismantle this, okay?"

The rest of the sisters looked at each other as Lisa looked like she was about to cry. They wanted to say something, yet all the words that they could come up just seemed so empty. In the end, it was just a monitor to look at other stuff, and it didn't seem like that alone would outweigh Lincoln's mental stability.

"Hey, did you guys find out what sounded like gunfire up here?"

Everyone froze and looked over to see Lincoln standing near the door. Rita and Lynn Sr quickly stood in front of the machine, trying to block Lincoln's view with their bodies. Lisa and the others looked between the machine and Lincoln, desperately hoping that Lincoln wasn't going to have another episode.

Lincoln simply walked past his parents, stared at the machine before him, then looked at Lisa.

"Did you scrub it?"

Lisa nodded. "Made sure that no possibility remained."

Lincoln nodded, coming close and patting Lisa's head. "Just tell me when you guys are going to use it so I could get my headphones."

The white haired boy turned to look at his parents. "It's fine. Don't make Lisa break something she worked really hard on just for me."

With that, Lincoln left the room. Silence reigned over the place for a while, before Rita turned to her husband.

"You stay here and make sure that everything's alright. I'm going to go down and make sure that Lincoln is alright."

Rita left the room, leaving Lynn Sr alone with his daughters. Looking at the machine, then at his daughters, he sighed before taking a seat beside them. "Alright, how does this work?"

Lisa went over and started to activate the machine. Still, there was a part of her that felt anxious, that needed to prove that her machine had a reason to stay. Her finger hovered over the start button for a moment, before Lisa pressed it.

The screen turned on and began to shift to another universe...

 **The sound of whispered mutters and silverware hitting plates could be heard.**

 **Behind a counter, two men stood facing each other. Both had on aprons and had tied cloths to their foreheads to keep sweat from dripping down to their brows. One had his arms crossed while the other stood with one hand on his hip while the other were at his side.**

 **They were clearly the Lincoln and Lynn Sr of this reality, though a few changes clearly marked them as so. Lincoln looked to be around fifteen years old, his chipped teeth not as prominent while a scar around his eyebrow stood out. Lynn Sr had decided to shave off his hair, his bald head peeking through the cloth he tried around his head.**

"Wow, dad." Lynn Jr grinned. "You look pretty good with a shaved head here."

"I know!" Leni said as she studied Lynn Sr's head. "Maybe you should consider it…"

"W-WHAT?! NO!" Lynn Sr reacted as he clutched his hair. "No no no, I'm good. I'm fine with this."

"Why you cling to a bunch of dead cells can be very confusing, since you already know that you're losing it anyways." Lisa remarked. "Better to shave it off. Hair can be very overrated."

Lynn Sr looked at Lisa. "I don't think you can have an opinion on my quote-unquote hair, Lisa."

"Sure I can, father. After all, I... I…"

"I what, Lisa?"

"N-Nevermind." Lisa replied, nervously grinning as she avoided eye contact.

"So what do you guys think is different about this dimension?" Lana asked.

Lynn scoffed. "You mean besides standing around trying to look like something out of Lincoln's japanese cartoons?"

 **Meanwhile, Mr. Grouse, a seventeen year old Lynn dressed in a grey long sleeved shirt, and a random police officer were polishing off the two lasagnas that were set before them. Around them, a crowd gathered around them, ranging from senior citizens to older versions of Lincoln's classmates, utterly silent as they intently watched. Near the three, a five year old Lily clutched a microphone which was attached to a intercom system that was looked over by a eight year old Lisa.**

"Wait." Lynn looked closer at the screen. "What am I wearing?"

"AWW, look at Lily with her little microphone!" Lori cooed.

"Though what is she doing with a microphone in the first place?" Luan asked.

Luna took a closer look at the scene before her, then her eyes widened. "Dudes, are this Pops and Lincoln having a cooking showdown?"

"That's a strange idea you arrived." Lucy commented.

"Why not?" Luna defended her assertion. "I mean...hang on."

 **Finally, the trio set their forks on the counter as they stared intently at the dishes before them, Lily sliding them three slips of paper. Mr. Grouse was the first, immediately writing down his vote and giving it to Lily. The Police Officer was the next one, taking a few more moments before writing down his vote as well. Finally, Lynn was the only one left, frowning very hard at the other two. She looked between the two plates, then at her dad and brother. With a sigh and a quick look at Lincoln, she wrote down her vote and handed it off.**

 **The five year old Lily took all the votes and looked at them. She gave a quick look at Lincoln, before taking up her mike.**

" **THE WINNER OF THIS LASAGNA SHOWDOWN IS… LYNN LOUD SR!" Lily announced.**

"TOLD YOU!" Luna exclaimed. "I mean, three judges, two plates set before each one, the two cooks waiting for the verdict on who cooked the better dish. It's all there, dudes!"

"Still, I suppose congratulations are in order, father." Lisa said as she turned to Lynn Sr. "It appears that we are viewing an universe where you opened your restaurant and Lincoln decided to follow in your footsteps."

"Lisa, are you sure this is an alternate universe? I mean, this could still be in the future." Lynn Sr pointed out.

"Hmm… Good point. We will have to continue further observation." Lisa noted.

"So why were they having a showdown in the first place?" Lana asked.

"What, you don't want to see two men put their skills to the test against each other, the victory to go to one because of skill or happenstance or such?" Lucy responded.

"Besides, doesn't everyone love an underdog story?" Lola said.

 **Applause and groans filled the air as Lynn Sr nodded his head, looking calmly assured in his victory. Lincoln looked disappointed, yet still held his head high. The two came close and shook hands.**

" **Thought I had you that time." Lincoln blandly said.**

" **Well, I would recommend that you put a bit more cheese next time, Lincoln." Lynn Loud Sr. advised.**

"Seriously, Alternate Lincoln?" Luan asked. "You seriously let Alternate Dad 'cheese' his victory to victory?"

Everyone turned to look at Luan, utterly confused.

"W-Was that supposed to be a joke?" Leni asked. "Oh wait, hold on… AUGH!"

 **A bit of a curve appeared on the end of Lincoln's lips. "I'll keep that in mind."**

" **DUDE!" A fifteen year old Rusty came out, leaned over the counter and pulled on Lincoln's sleeve, tears freely flowing his face. Fifteen year old Clyde, Zach and Liam were right behind him, Zach and Liam each patting him on the back.**

 **Only Lincoln looked unconcerned as he shook his head. "You betted on me again, didn't you?"**

 **Rusty nodded. Lincoln looked at Zach and Liam and how while both of them were trying to comfort Rusty, they also looked a bit down.**

" **Zach, Liam, did you also bet on me?"**

 **The two boys froze and looked at each other.**

" **Well…" "You see…"**

 **Lincoln held up a hand, before craning his neck, looking through the decently sized restaurant. He spotted two heads of blond hair walking in between the tables, collecting and dispensing money. 'Got you.'**

" **LOLA! LANA!" He called out.**

 **The two heads froze in place, before immediately appearing in front of Lincoln in the form of ten year old Lola and Lana. Lana and Lola both wore long sleeved white shirts, black pants with a light grey apron tied in front, and shoelace-less grey shoes, same as Lynn. Lana's hair was in their regular pigtails, but Lola had chosen to tie her hair back into a single ponytail. Both tried not to look like they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.**

"Heh, you pull off the waitress look very well, Lola." Lynn Jr joked as Lola stood utterly still, almost like a statue.

Lana grimaced. "Man, does that mean that alternate me can't play in the mud as much? Aw man…"

"Huh, do we even have a cookie jar?" Leni pondered.

Lynn Sr sniffled upon witnessing the scene. "This alternate me's restaurant is doing so well, I can actually afford to give you guys UNIFORMS!" Lynn Sr stood up and ran to the door.

"Dad, where are you going?" Lori asked, the rest of her sisters looking at their dad and how strangely he seemed to be asking.

"Lisa, can you pause that?!" Lynn asked.

"N-No?"

"Alright, you kids watch closely and tell me everything that I missed! I gotta go find some paper and pencils!" Lynn Sr dashed out of the room. "Gotta write everyth-GAH!"

Whatever Lynn Sr was abou to say was interrupted as Lynn Sr screamed, the sounds of crashing and screaming indicating that he was falling down the stairs. After a few seconds, a thunderous crash echoed throughout the house. The sisters looked at each other before looking out the door.

"I'm fine!"

The rest of the sisters looked at each other before Lynn Jr spoke up.

"Well...Dad did say he was fine."

Murmurs of agreement echoed as the sisters went back into Lisa's room.

" **Lola, thought dad told you to stop setting up betting on our showdowns."**

" **Well...you see…" Lana started, before Lola interrupted.**

" **We're having some financial trouble with the restaurant, and we wanted to help!" Lola said, Lana quickly nodding.**

 **Lincoln looked unconvinced as he looked over. "Hey, LISA? ARE WE IN THE RED?!"**

" **That will be $18.50 sir. Hold on a moment." Lisa looked back. "NO, WE'RE STILL GREEN! Sorry about that, will you be paying cash, credit, debit, or check?"**

"OKAY, I'M BACK!" Lynn Sr said as he came back, a notebook and pencil in his hands. "What did I miss?"

"Apparently, you use my genius intellect to be your cashier in this universe." Lisa snarked.

"... Note to self, let Lisa take care of the cash register." Lynn Sr said to himself as he quickly wrote down that note.

"Genius is often unrecognized during its lifetime, Lisa." Lucy said, trying to comfort Lisa.

"Do not remind me." Lisa sighed.

 **Lincoln looked back at Lola and Lana, waiting for another excuse. Lola stood quiet before sighing loudly.**

" **Come on, Lincoln! This was a golden opportunity for us! People LOVE a underdog story, and they probably would love it more if they managed to profit from it. Is it wrong if we could help them do that?"**

 **Lincoln looked at Lana.**

" **...There was this new toolset on sale, and my allowance didn't cover for it."**

 **Lincoln was about to rub his face, before remembering where he was and putting them back to his sides.**

" **Alright, go ahead and keep the money. Be more suspicious if you gave them back… Still, for the next two weeks, no mudballs for you, Lana, and don't expect any help with your tea parties, Lola."**

 **Looking at the twins' utterly aghast expressions, Lincoln set his face in stone.**

" **Am I clear?"**

 **Slowly, the twins nodded and walked to the back, probably to store their earnings in a safe place.**

"Okay, two questions." Lola asked. "When did this Lincoln get such a backbone? And even then, is his cooking really that good? I mean, he lost to alternate dad."

"He lost making lasagna against Dad. That's not exactly a sign that he's bad at cooking, just that he couldn't make a better lasagna, and honestly, who can?"

"Okay…" Lola said. "What about the first?"

"Probably had to deal with a lot of picky customers." Luna and Lori said at the same time, before looking at each other.

"Y-You know the pain?" Lori tentatively asked, slightly starting to tear up.

"Yeah, Sis. I totally do…" Luna responded.

The two hugged, tears starting to flow down their cheeks as they comforted each other. Lana and Lola looked at each other, utterly confused.

"GUYS! Can you keep it down? I'm trying to see what's the floor plan is!" Lynn Sr shouted.

" **LINCOLN!" The person in question jumped a bit before looking back at his father, already working on other dishes. "IF YOU HAVE TIME TO TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS, THEN ASK THEM IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY WANT!"**

" **ALRIGHT, DAD!" Lincoln shouted back, before looking back at Rusty, Liam, Zach, and Clyde. "Alright, you guys want anything? Or did you already spent everything on betting?"**

"Wait, what's this about betting?" Lynn Sr asked.

"NOTHING!" Lola shouted.

 **Slowly, the other three people in the group nodded, while Lincoln tried to look like he wasn't overly concerned about the outcome of the city and the leader that was leading it. Rusty looked down to the ground, while Liam and Zach looked to the side. Finally, Zach came up with an idiot idea.**

" **Hey, Lincoln. How about four bowls of rice with raw egg poured on top?"**

"...Rice with raw egg poured on top? That sounds totes unhealthy." Leni remarked, the rest of the sisters agreeing with remarks of disgust.

Then Luan noticed Lynn Sr continuing to write in his notebook. "Dad, you seriously can't be considering putting that in the menu of your future restaurant?"

"Well, if my alternate self taught alternate Lincoln that recipe, can't be all bad and the menu could always use a bit of diversity. Besides, the Japanese eat raw fish all the time, don't they?"

Lynn Jr grimaced. "I don't think it's the same thing dad."

 **Liam immediately took notice and tapped Rusty on the back.**

" **Hey, Rusty! You hear that, Lincoln's gonna do his egg thing, you like it when he does his egg thing, right?"**

 **Rusty looked up, eyes actually shining. "You're really going to do it?"**

" **Well… what are you guys going to pay with?"**

"Wow, Lincoln, can't give your mates a freebie?" Luna said, unimpressed.

"Well, Lincoln is helping run a business." Lola reminded the rocker.

 **The three's enthusiasm quickly died. Liam himself turned his pockets inside out, only for a few bits of lint to fall out. Zach and Rusty were the same results. However, just as they were about to apologize and leave the restaurant…**

" **Oh, that's okay. I'll pay the bill." Clyde spoke up, drawing the small group's attention to him, the smallest of tears starting to form in their eyes. Lincoln looked a bit skeptical.**

" **You sure about that, Clyde?" Lincoln asked.**

 **Clyde nodded.**

" **Alright, four bowls of Tamago Kake Gohan, coming up!" Lincoln said, turning away to get what he needed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Clyde being thanked profusely by the others.**

"Ta-ma-go what?" Lana asked as the rest of the sisters scratched their heads at the strange words that just came out of Alternate!Lincoln's mouth.

"He said Tamago Kake Gohan. Sounds exotic. Definitely would be an eye catcher on the menu." Lynn Sr helpfully supplied, but only leading to more confusion among the sisters.

"Sounds Japanese." Lucy hypothesized.

"Hold on a moment." Lori said, quickly bringing up the search engine on her phone and typing up the unfamiliar phrase. "Okay, apparently 'Tamago Kake Gohan' is a...Japanese dish."

"Called it." Lucy smiled.

"That's weird, dudes. How does Lincoln know a Japanese dish?" Luna asked.

Leni tsked. "Isn't it obvious, you guys? He looked it up on the internet!"

Lisa shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. We knew what to look for, and I doubt this Lincoln is that much of a 'weeaboo' to research that deeply into Japanese cuisine."

' **Time to get to work.' Lincoln thought to himself, taking a large clay pot, putting short grain rice in it, pouring water inside, then closing the lid as he turned up the heat. He also got out a few cloves of garlic, a few whole onions, a bottle of soy sauce, before setting them to the side.**

 **Next, he went to the fridge and opened it. Looking inside, a frown appeared on his face as he leaned out to look at Lynn Loud Sr. who was in the process of serving up another slice of lasagna.**

" **DAD! WHERE ARE THE BRAND EGGS?"**

" **THEY'RE NEAR THE BACK."**

 **Lincoln quickly looked inside, gently brushing aside a few other ingredients, before nodding.**

" **I SEE THEM! THANKS!" He said, reaching inside…**

 **...And pulling out practically generic store brand eggs.**

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Lola asked as she saw Alternate!Lincoln pull out some cheap eggs that anyone could have gotten from a supermarket. "YOU'RE A CHEF FOR A RESTAURANT, HAVE SOME STANDARDS FOR YOURSELF!"

"Lola, calm down." Lana said.

"Huh, you think that a restaurant that made enough to give everyone uniforms would also be enough to spring for some more fancier eggs." Lynn Jr observed.

 **Taking out four eggs, he got four separate bowls and cracked each egg, dropping the liquid egg into each one. Grabbing a fork, Lincoln beat each egg until they were a uniform yellow, the yolk thoroughly mixed into the egg white. Just as he finished beating the eggs, the clay pot started emitting steam, a sign that the rice inside was done. Lifting the top off, the white haired chef scooped out a helping of scorched rice onto other bowls before setting them aside.**

 **Grabbing a chopping board and a kitchen knife, he started to chop up each of the ingredients. The knife moved swiftly and calmly, chopping each ingredient into pieces, the rhythmic sound of knife meeting board echoing. Finally, he took out a black metal pan and put it on the stove, turning it on and letting the flames heat the pan. Taking the sesame oil, he applied it to the pan before setting the oil aside. Looking back at the chopped up ingredients, he gathered up a portion of each other, lined the board with the pan…**

 **Then used the knife as a hockey stick with the ingredients as a hockey puck.**

"Dang, that was cool." Lynn Jr smiled, a little surprised at that.

"You know, this is the first time we actually saw this Lincoln cook." Luan observed.

"Yeah, look at this Lincoln go!" Luna smiled.

Lynn Sr looked up from his notebook to see this Lincoln in action. He certainly looked like he was in his element. In fact, staring at this alternate Lincoln, Lynn Sr couldn't help but wonder something.

'When did this Lincoln start following in that me's footsteps?'

 **The ingredients flew through the air before landing in the pan, their arrival punctuated with a sizzle meeting the hot oil. Lincoln grabbed the soy sauce and added some into the pan, putting the soy sauce back to the side as he got one of the bowls with the scrambled eggs and one of the bowls with rice in.**

" **Alright, ready?" Lincoln asked with a smirk as he came back to the stove, the ingredients' aroma starting to permeate through the air. Lincoln's classmates nodded, Rusty in particular looking very excited.**

 **With that, Lincoln picked up the bowl of scrambled eggs and tipped it, letting the scrambled liquid flow onto the pan. The eggs mixed with the soy sauce, garlic, and onions. Before the mixture could cook, Lincoln grabbed the handle…**

 **And flipping the mixture into the air.**

Everyone stopped and stared.

"That…" "IS SO COOL!" Lynn Jr and Lana cheered.

"Impressive." Lucy commented.

"Fascinating." Lisa agreed.

Lola nodded.

Luan rubbed her chin. "Wonder how many times he messed that one up."

Leni noticed that Luna and Lori had their jaws hanging open. She quickly took the opportunity to close it for them.

Lynn Sr quickly recovered from his surprise as he observed Lincoln's cooking method.

'Just a second more, and he would have ended up with half-cooked scrambled eggs.'

 **The eggs took the mixture of soy sauce, garlic and onions with it, becoming a new mixture. The mixture flew so high it almost scrapped the ceiling, before falling back to the ground. Lincoln quickly lifted the pan off the hot stove, caught the mixture with it, and quickly transferred it onto the rice bowl.**

 **Lincoln dropped the bowl in front of Rusty. The bowl itself looked absolutely appetizing. The raw scrambled egg was mixed with in well with the other ingredients, and coated nearly every single grain. Rusty visibly controlled himself, until the others got their orders.**

 **Lincoln gestured to them. "Four Tamago Kake Gohans. Eat up."**

"You know…" Lori said as she stared at the dish that Alternate!Lincoln prepared. "You gotta admit...that looks good."

"Aww, man. I'm going to be so hungry when this is done." Lynn Jr groaned.

"Okay, I can see why alternate me took Lincoln's threat seriously." Lola admitted.

"I know!" Leni agreed. "Normally, I think raw stuff is just icky, but this looks so good! You should probably take a picture."

"Good idea!" Lori said, taking out her phone and taking a picture. Looking it over, she frowned. "Aww, it just doesn't look the same."

" **THANK YOU!" With that, the four dug in, soon audibly showing their appreciation.**

" **MAN, THIS IS GREAT!" Clyde exclaimed, taking a moment to realize that some of his meal got on his cheek and wiping it off just to lick it off his finger.**

" **I KNOW!" Liam replied. "Normally, I would heed my mom and stay away from raw foods, but for this dish, I'll have no intention of listening! Sorry, mom…"**

 **Zach nodded. "The taste and texture itself is very nice. The way it coats my throat as it slides down is particularly nice."**

" **HEY, LINCOLN!" Rusty said as he wiped his mouth before grinning. "Remember all the times that you tried to get this right?"**

 **Lincoln chuckled weakly as his eyes gained a glazed appearance. "Yeah...I remember those days."**

"Yeah, bet he could have gotten something better tasting if he used some better eggs." Lola commented.

Lana nodded. "Yeah, wonder how that would have tasted."

"Actually, I don't think it would work out." Lynn Sr spoke, making everyone pay attention.

"What do you mean by that, dad?" Lisa asked.

"Well, from what I know, more expensive eggs have a more pronounced flavor to them. But, seeing this Lincoln only has like a second to basically pack in all that flavor into eggs, then you would probably want eggs that don't have that much of a flavor on their own. In fact, the blander the eggs, the better they would be…" Lynn Sr explained.

"Hmm… interesting. An actual case where more expensive doesn't mean more better."

" **Lincoln."**

" **GAH!" The four diners screamed, nearly choking on their rice as Lucy appeared, dressed in the same way that the rest of the sisters were.**

" **Yeah, Lucy?" Lincoln replied, not at all surprised.**

" **The customers at table six wants one house fried rice and an order of currywurst."**

"...What's currywurst?" Lana asked.

"Hold on...apparently, it's something from Germany. It's supposed to be bratwurst, or german sausage, with a ketchup mixed with curry powder."

"...Okay, what is going on?" Luan scratched her head. "This dad's menu includes something from America, Japan, and now Germany. What is this restaurant supposed to be, an international world tour?"

"Yeah, where's something from England?" Luna couldn't help asking.

" **Right. Sorry, guys. Duty calls! Be sure to pay Lisa!" Lincoln said as he started to work on the orders.**

 **And that was how the rest of the shift went. Lucy or the twins would come in with an order, Lincoln and Lynn Sr. would fulfill the orders in record time, Lynn Jr. would make a game of how many dishes she could wash, Lisa would run the cash register (while looking throughout the restaurant with her surveillance), and little Lily would help out whenever she could when she looked up from her drawing. It was a simple and efficient system.**

"Oh yeah, alternate us would definitely be at college right now." Leni observed.

 **Finally, the orders started to become a trickle as the day started to give way to night. A few of the more late customers gave their thanks as they exited the building. Soon enough, the restaurant was empty, Lynn Loud Sr. stretched, feeling a few discs in his spine crack loudly.**

" **Alright, kids. Gotta pick up your mother. Go ahead and clean up the place. Lincoln, you're in charge, okay?"**

"Wait, why is Lincoln in charge? I'm the oldest!" Lynn Jr said, feeling a bit insulted.

"Well, he is the cook. You're the waitress." Lucy responded.

"Oh, she got you there." Lola snickered.

" **Right." Lincoln replied.**

" **Still feeling bad about the loss?"**

 **Lincoln smirked. "Nah, already thinking of how to beat you next time."**

 **Lynn Sr. returned the smirk. "That's the spirit!"**

 **He then turned to the others. "Remember, I want this place spotless!"**

 **With that, Lynn Sr. left the building. As soon as that happened, Lincoln turned to his sisters.**

" **Alright, same thing as usual. Lana and Lola, clean the tables. Lynn, put away the dishes. Lisa, count our profits for today. Lucy, start checking on our inventory, I'll be along shortly. Anyone who gets done with their chores early, go help someone, okay?"**

"Not bad, Lincoln. You certainly came far." Lori complimented.

 **His sisters nodded as they began to do their chores. Lincoln was about to move out, when someone pulled on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Lily looking at him.**

" **Are you really okay?" She asked, clearly concerned.**

 **Lincoln crookedly smiled as he lowered himself to look Lily in the eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine, Lily."**

" **But you lost."**

 **Lincoln nodded his head, his disappointment briefly showing. "Yeah, it happens. You lose some, you win some."**

" **Except when it comes to cooking against dad." Lola smirked. "Then you just lose them all."**

" **No offense, Linc. You're a pretty good cook, but Dad's on a whole other level."**

" **Oh, forget you, you two!" Lincoln shouted back.**

" **She's right, you know?" Lynn said, leaning out of her station. "Do try to actually win sometime, it's actually getting embarrassing."**

" **I'm pretty sure that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again in the hopes that something will change."**

 **Lincoln didn't even react as Lucy came out. "Et tu, Lucy?"**

 **He looked around. "You want in on the 'let's roast Lincoln' routine, Lisa?"**

 **Lisa looked up from her counting. "No, the others seemed to have hit all the points I would have made."**

" **Thanks for that."**

 **Lincoln looked back at Lily. "You see? I'm fine. There's going to be next time. And frankly, I don't care that much about my record. All I need is just that one, and I'll be right as rain. You get it, Lily?"**

 **Lily looked at him, before smiling. "I get it."**

"Huh, so Lincoln and dad have been doing this showdown thing for a while, and Lincoln lost every single showdown?" Leni asked.

"Must be a pretty bad losing streak." Luna grimaced.

"Must be like 0-20." Lynn Jr guessed.

"That definitely sounds like an underdog story that people would be willing to bet on." Lola nodded.

Lori noticed Lynn Sr looking at the screen, his pencil not moving on the paper. "What's up, dad?"

Lynn snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, nothing."

" **Good, now-"**

 **Someone knocked on the door.**

 **Everyone paused in their chores and looked at the door. Whoever was at the door, it wasn't Dad. Dad would have just used his key and entered in.**

 **Lincoln looked at the lock. It was locked. Yep, Dad would have just used his key.**

 **Still, who was at the door?**

 **Taking a deep breath, he walked to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. "Hello?"**

" **Ahh, greetings."**

 **Lincoln fully opened the door, letting in a short old man dressed in the finest clothing and accompanied by two men in black suits. The Louds quickly realized who the person was.**

" **Lord Tetherby?"** "Lord Tetherby?"

"Ah geez, he wants to buy the establishment unless Lincoln can beat him in a cooking showdown." Luan predicted, slightly tense.

"You don't know that, he might actually want to eat there." Leni said.

Lana scoffed. "Yeah, rich guy like that wants to eat there… Give me a break."

Lynn Sr readied his pencil.

" **Yes, glad to see that you people recognize me. How are you this fine evening?" Lord Tetherby asked, the two guards taking positions beside him.**

" **Good…" Lincoln answered, unsure why such 'an esteemed member of society', at least he was sure that was what Lord Tetherby would prefer to be called, was doing at their 'lower class diner…'**

" **Excellent, excellent. Mind if I inquire as to the whereabouts of your father?"**

 **Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "Dad? He's currently out right now. But I can take a message if you want."**

" **Really? Oh thank goodness and thank you, my boy! I've been trying to get a hold of your father for quite some time, and his constant refusals have started to become quite irritating to me."**

 **Lincoln frowned. "He's been refusing to see you?"**

 **Lord Tetherby nodded. "Your father can be so unreasonable. I'm sure if we can sit down and talk,"**

" **We can discuss a fair price for this low class diner."**

" **...WHAT?!" The Loud family showed their connection to their name as they all became bug-eyed at Tetherby's rather casual talk.**

"Oh come on, did anyone actually didn't see that coming?" Luan rhetorically asked.

"...Kind of." Leni admitted.

Luan rubbed her face with her hand. "Okay, anyone except you, Leni."

" **Oh dear, keep that awful din down." Lord Tetherby groaned as he rubbed his ear. "You could cause someone to go deaf with that sort of noise."**

" **W-Well, excuse me, but I think I didn't hear you correctly when you said that."**

 **Lord Tetherby looked at him weirdly as he handed Lincoln a card with his phone number on it. "Oh pish posh boy, what is difficult to comprehend about my wishes for this place? I wish to purchase this property from your father."**

" **No."**

" **Excuse me?" Lord Tetherby asked.**

 **Lincoln started hard at the rich man. "No, I know my dad. Let me save you your breath. He will not sell, he will never sell, and you can expect the same response when I succeed him and you come knocking again."**

" **This is our restaurant, and it will never be for sale."**

"...Seriously, this Lincoln got quite the cojones on him, doesn't he?" Luna whistled.

"Yeah." "Definitely." "Wonder if this Lincoln keeps up contact with his Ronnie?"

 **There was silence, before Lord Tetherby sighed. "You're being quite unreasonable here, boy. If you can stop being stubborn for a moment, you can realize the great opportunity that is before you. Though you may lose your eatery here, I will be able to build a more reputable restaurant here. Why, with my influence, plenty of high level chefs will flock here, and you could learn a more refined cuisine from them. You could be so much more than slaving away learning the plebeian recipes of your low class father-"**

"Wow, this guy is a jerk." Lana commented.

"Yeah, where does he get off saying that kind of stuff about Dad's cooking?!" Lynn Jr seethed, too focused on the screen to see the small smile bloom on Lynn Sr's face.

"Well, no offense dad." Lola apologized. "But I bet this guy eats a lot more fancier stuff than what you usually serve.

"Yeah, he is still a pretty influential person in the community." Lynn Sr said, looking a bit worried. "Lincoln should probably tread carefully."

" **HEY!"**

Lori grimaced. "Maybe you should tell that to that Lynn over there."

"WHAT?! It's not me!" Lynn Jr defended herself.

 **At that, Lynn came forward, Lincoln barely able to hold her back in time. Both of Tetherby's bodyguards came in front of Tetherby. Lynn just snarled at them and while their expressions didn't change, they did back up slightly. The rest of the sisters didn't react as violently as Lynn Jr, but the look on their eyes would have certainly stripped Lord Tetherby of all his wealth and sent to the soup kitchen.**

" **M-Manners, girl!" Tetherby shouted, hastily gathering his composure. "Hasn't your mother taught you manners?"**

" **Only to people who deserve them, and you're not one of them." Lynn replied with a smirk.**

"Ohhh…" Everyone reacted, a hand to their mouth.

"Wicked." Lucy smirked.

" **Frankly, you bust in here, talking about how low class the food is, bu I don't think I've ever seen you ever come here and actually eat."**

 **Lord Tetherby scoffed. "Of course not! My palate has had the privilege of sampling the finest delicacies you could only dream of. Why, just the other day, a chef with a pedigree far above yours served me quite the delectable steak, a meal of such high quality that I doubt this eatery could even imitate. As if your plebeian cooking could even move one of my taste buds…"**

 **Lynn didn't back down. "PUH-LEASE! My bro here could cook you a meal that could easily match that in quality and make your taste-buds dance."**

 **Lord Tetherby rubbed his chin. "That sounds like quite a claim."**

"He's planning something." Luan remarked.

"Don't fall for it." Lola advised, knowing that her advice was falling on deaf ears.

The rest of the sisters began to sit close to the metaphorical edge of their seats.

 **Lincoln looked annoyed as he brushed Lynn to the side, looking back at Lord Tetherby. "Yeah, it is."**

" **Well… Do you dare make that claim yourself, boy?"**

 **Lincoln stared at the short fat rich man, before nodding. "Yeah, I can do that."**

" **And I suppose that even a lower class chef like you still has his pride, like being able to serve their customers no matter what?"**

 **Lincoln paused for a moment, before speaking.**

" **Yeah."**

" **Should you fail?" Lord Tetherby prodded.**

" **...Enough to quit cooking."**

" **LINCOLN?!" Everyone shouted, their eyes literally bugging out.**

"LINCOLN?!"

"That's a little far, isn't it?" Lynn Sr couldn't help saying.

" **...I see. Well then, I suppose that it is too late in the evening. Let us discuss this at a later time. Have a good evening." With that, Lord Tetherby and his two bodyguards left.**

 **Lincoln stared at the door while everyone of his sisters practically got into his face.**

"Wait, it's not like Tetherby is actually going to make him quit cooking, right?" Leni asked.

"Well…" Lisa said as she worriedly rubbed her chin. "While he cannot force Lincoln to stop the physical act of cooking, there are more than enough ways to stop him from being able to hold employment in a kitchen."

Leni looked horrified, covering her mouth with her hands. "H-He can't do that… Can he?"

Lori frowned. "He could. Money does have a way of making people dance to the tune of others."

 **The next day, the Loud family came out of the supermarket, their arms full of groceries.**

" **Lucy, you sure we don't need more meat?" Lincoln asked.**

" **Positive. Still don't know why you insisted on buying that thick cut bacon." Lucy replied.**

 **Lincoln shrugged. "Just had a hunch that we might need more bacon."**

" **Can never have too much bacon." Lana replied.**

" **Lisa, how much are we for this month's budget?" Lynn Sr. asked.**

" **We're still good." Lisa confirmed.**

"More evidence that my brilliance is wasted." Lisa snarked.

"Then go ahead and use your brilliance. It's not like this dad or our dad is stopping you from doing something." Lynn Jr snarked back.

 **The group neatly packed their groceries in the back of Vanzilla, before getting in and driving away. As the others talked about their day, Lincoln simply stared out the window, looking utterly focused. This did not go unnoticed.**

" **Lincoln?"**

 **Lincoln looked at Lily.**

" **Are you okay?"**

 **Lincoln slightly smiled.**

" **Yeah, just...waiting."**

" **Waiting for what?"**

" **You'll see."**

"See?! Even this Lincoln can see how this is going to happen!" Luan pointed out.

 **Vanzilla soon pulled into Restaurant Loud's parking lot. As the people got out, they noticed the crowd of people currently standing outside. While this didn't get Lincoln's attention, what did was the same reason why people were staring and why his sisters were looking in horror.**

 **Someone had taken gallons of white paint and poured it all over the sign that proudly displayed the name of the restaurant.**

Everyone stared at the vandalism on the screen.

"Okay, I didn't see that coming…" Luan grimaced.

"Note to self: do not piss off Lord Tetherby if he comes to your restaurant." Lynn Sr noted.

"You're still working on that thing?" Lori asked.

" **W-WHAT HAPPENED?!" Lola asked, practically demanding an answer.**

 **As the rest of his sisters freaked out while his father looked crestfallen, Lincoln walked past the crowd and to the door where the kitchen's were. Noticing the door slightly ajar, he braced himself before fully opening the door. Seeing what's inside, he took a deep breath before making his way back to the group.**

" **Guys, you might want to see what happened to the kitchen." The group stared at him, before immediately racing over, mindful of all the kitchen equipment that could have been taken. They looked inside and immediately saw it.**

 **All the meat supply had been taken from the freezer and merciless stomped on, the imprints of the perpetrator's shoes clear as day. As everyone stared at the mess before them, Lynn Sr stepped forward and looked through the inventory. After doing so, Lynn Sr rubbed his chin.**

" **Well, thankfully whoever did this left the rest of the ingredients untouched. We might have to cut a few items out of the menu for today, but we should be fine." Lynn Sr muttered to himself.**

Lynn Sr stared at the screen, before continuing to write something else down. "Also play it cool."

Luna whistled. "Dang, this dad is pretty cool under pressure. Dad here would have been freaking out… no offense."

"None taken." Lynn Sr said, his nose still on his notebook.

 **Meanwhile, Lincoln looked at Lisa and Lana. "Lisa, check your cameras. Lana, check the garbage."**

"This Lincoln seems the same as well." Lucy commented.

 **The two nodded before leaving the area to do their tasks. Just then, Lincoln could hear a commotion coming from the dining area. Coming out of the storage, Lincoln tried his best to give a neutral expression.**

" **Lord Tetherby, what a surprise to see you here."**

" **Of course, boy. I decided to take you up on your claim last night." Lord Tetherby said as he seated himself at a table and laid a napkin over his lap, his two bodyguards standing at his sides as usual. However, Lincoln noted that the two of them were clearly fighting the urge to smirk. Near the entrance, he could also see the crowd of people, afraid to enter the establishment and yet utterly curious to see the Lord Tetherby willingly sitting down and ordering something.**

" **What will you have today, sir?" Lincoln asked.**

" **I distinctly remember me telling you about the steak that I had yesterday. I would like to see your take on steak, if you please." Tetherby said with a smile, though Lincoln could see it was a bit lopsided.**

"Oh, that tuxedo'd snake!" Luna frowned.

"I can honestly see him doing something like this." Lola said, remembering the time that Lincoln spent with him.

"You got that right." Lana agreed.

"I don't know, kids. Maybe it could have been settled peacefully if Lincoln could have talked with Lord Tetherby more respectfully." Lynn Sr responded.

The sisters looked at him weirdly.

" **I'm afraid that's not possible." Lincoln admitted.**

" **Oh?" Lord Tetherby questioned. "Is that so?"**

 **Lincoln nodded. "Someone got into our storage and destroyed all our meat. Our supply won't be coming until tomorrow."**

" **Oh, spare me your excuses, boy."**

 **Lincoln forced himself to remain calm. Even so, seeing Lord Tetherby look at him with a knowing dark twinkle in his eye made something burn in his breast.**

" **A 'proper' restaurant would strive to fulfill their patrons' desires, not offer excuses about their shortcomings. If this is the extent of your service, then I would suggest getting out of the business as soon as possible." Lord Tetherby took his napkin, got up and gently threw it over his shoulder, smacking against Lincoln's face.**

" **Consider that my tip, boy."**

"Lincoln, just let it go." Lynn Sr couldn't help saying.

"LET IT GO?!" Lynn Jr asked incredulously. "That rich jerkwad just trashed your restaurant in front of a crowd, and you want this Lincoln to just let have the last word?"

"Yeah, the last word isn't everything." Lynn Sr looked at the notebook in his hands, before sighing as he set it to the side. "And frankly, I would just let Tetherby have the property while I'm at it."

"WHAT?!"

 **Before Lord Tetherby could leave, Lincoln stood in front of him.**

" **Boy, don't you have-" "Let's speak plainly, Mr. Tetherby."**

 **Lord Tetherby looked affronted by Lincoln's rudeness.**

" **Excu-" "You're not going to give up on getting this property, aren't you?"**

"Dad, how could you? Isn't that basically your dream, to own your own restaurant?" Luna asked, the rest of the sisters standing up and staring dumbstruck at their father's admission.

"Yes, it is." Lynn Sr admitted.

Lana scoffed. "So why would you give it up so easily?!"

"I don't want to, but I will if I have to."

"But why would you do it?" Lori asked, having a sneaking suspicion about what her father was thinking.

"BECAUSE I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT YOU GUYS!" Lynn Sr shouted, making everyone suddenly lean back in surprise. Breathing heavily, Lynn Sr took a few moments to compose himself

 **Lincoln briefly looked up. Lisa came with her laptop and nodded. Lana stuck her head in the area and held up a pair of expensive looking shoes with paint and meat stuck on them, the same ones the bodyguards were wearing.**

" **Well… How about a little gentleman's wager?"**

"Because I have to think about you guys, okay? If I'm going to actually go with this dream, it's not just me that's going to be feeling it if it goes wrong. You're all going to coming down with me if I fail at this. I don't want that. That's why I've been trying to take notes. I do want this, but I also want it to work."

 **Lord Tetherby's face shifted from insulted to interested. "Interesting, what are you proposing?"**

" **You're going to sit down, and allow me to cook you a meal. You win if I don't come up with something in the next twenty minutes or you take one bite of what I set in front of you and then refuse to take another. I win if you take a second bite or even give an acknowledgement that my cooking is delicious."**

"And honestly, I don't know what this guy over there is thinking. Here is your Lincoln, your son, basically betting his ability to work in this town just to defend the restaurant. Why is he doing that? My restuarant isn't worth that much, honestly. If Lord Tetherby wants it, fine! Let him have it! But leave Lincoln out of it."

" **And the terms of this wager?"**

" **If I win, you have to stop pestering us about purchasing the property as well as any efforts to 'persuade' us otherwise."**

" **And if I win?"**

"What kind of dad is that me to that Lincoln, huh?

" **Then I'll personally sign the deed over to you." Lynn Sr said as he came up behind Lincoln. Lincoln didn't react to this announcement, simply looking at his father even as screams and gasps of horror echoed around them.**

"...What?"

 **Lynn Sr just smiled. "** **Anata ga tsukutta kono kyogi no omo o misete kudasai."**

"...I'm pretty sure that was Japanese." Lucy concluded.

"Okay, I don't know much about speaking Japanese, but that sure doesn't sound like you've only spent a semester there in Japan." Lori commented.

"...No kidding." Lynn Sr said, his mind off thinking about the significance of what alternate him just did.

'Do you really believe in Lincoln that much?'

"What did he say?" Lola asked.

Lisa immediately started typing on the machine. "Hang on, let me turn on the translator."

Luan held up a hand. "Wait, this thing has subtitles."

 **(Show this pretentious lord what you're made of.)**

"Dude, another burn." Luna said, sucking air through her teeth.

 **Lincoln smiled back as he looked at Lord Tetherby, who looked a bit caught off guard before recomposing himself.**

" **Sounds like fair terms." Lord Tetherby said as he stood up and held out his hand. "Do we have an accord?"**

 **Lincoln didn't even hesitate, immediately taking Lord Tetherby's hand and shaking it.**

" **So, boy. What will you be making for me today?"**

" **A meat dish."**

 **Lord Tetherby blinked.**

" **I beg your pardon?"**

"Did he actually say that?" Lana asked.

Leni looked confused. "Wait, wasn't all the meat destroyed?"

"Yeah, it was." Lana responded.

"Oh...WAIT! How is he going to make a meat dish without any meat?!" Leni exclaimed.

"Frankly, I believe I can speak for everyone else when I say I have no idea." Lisa said.

" **Lily, start the showdown."**

 **Lily looked between Tetherby and Lincoln before going into the back and coming back with her microphone. Clearing her throat, she spoke.**

" **THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED. IF LINCOLN WINS, LORD TETHERBY WILL STOP ALL EFFORTS TO PURCHASE RESTAURANT LOUD! IF LORD TETHERBY WINS, THEN RESTAURANT LOUD WILL BE HIS! LET THIS SHOWDOWN...BEGIN!"**

 **Immediately, Lincoln turned to enter the kitchen and looked at the wide eyed expressions of his sisters. "Guys, I need you to get the groceries from the car."**

" **L-LINCOLN! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?!" Lola shoutd as the rest of the sisters slowly got out of their stupor.**

" **Yeah, I do. Don't worry." Lincoln said as he got out his white cloth, his back to them. Tying it around his head, he turned to face his sisters, who were struck dumb by the expression he was wearing.**

 **Determination burned in his eyes, with the grin of a kid in a candy store on his lips.**

 **Before everyone could talk, Lucy spoke up. "Guys, we should move, lest Lincoln loses time."**

 **Remembering that, the sisters immediately ran out to get the groceries while Lincoln got out all his tools.**

"...What is that expression? Is Lincoln actually getting...excited?" Lynn Sr asked.

"I guess…" Lynn Jr said.

"Wouldn't something like this be up your alley?" Lola asked.

Lynn Jr scoffed. "Please, there's a big difference between playing to be number one and playing to not have your kneecaps broken."

 **The clock ticked as Lincoln cooked. The sisters were asked to leave the kitchen so that Lincoln could work in peace. Everyone outside looked nervous, especially Clyde and the others, who managed to work their way to the front. Lord Tetherby looked at his bodyguards like clockwork, the guards looking just as confused as him.**

 **Only Lynn Sr looked completely relaxed about the situation.**

 **However, just as the clock hit the nineteen minute mark, the door to the kitchen opened as Lincoln came out, a single dish in his hand. As he made his way to Lord Tetherby's table, Lynn quickly set out all the appropriate utensils. Lincoln set the dish in front of Lord Tetherby, who's jaw dropped.**

" **W-W-What's this?!" He exclaimed.**

" **What I just cooked for you, Mr. Tetherby." Lincoln calmly replied.**

" **I-I-I thought you said that there was no meat?!"**

" **There isn't."**

" **T-T-T-THEN HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO COOK SUCH A DELICIOUS PORK ROAST?!" Lord Tetherby shouted as he looked down at his plate, a utterly scrumptious looking roast wrapped with thick cut bacon and string sitting on it. Lincoln cut the string, the pork roast slightly relaxing.**

"OH MY GOD! Is this Lincoln a magician too?" Leni asked. "You think he can pull a rabbit out of his hat next?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Leni." Lisa said, adjusting her glasses. "He must have foreseen this happening and prepared accordingly at the store."

"But didn't someone say that they didn't need more meat, so they didn't buy anymore?" Luna asked.

Lucy rubbed her chin. "I think I heard Lincoln say that he bought some bacon beforehand."

Lola looked a bit queasy. "Are you saying that thing is just a ball of bacon?"

" **Does it really matter how I did it? Please enjoy." Lincoln said, gesturing to the dish.**

 **Lord Tetherby shot a quick glare at his bodyguards, before taking his knife and fork and cutting into the roast. Then he stopped and looked at his knife, which was meeting a lot less resistance that he expected. He looked closely at the dish, before looking up at Lincoln, utterly incredulous.**

" **ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THIS IS JUST MASHED POTATOES WRAPPED IN BACON!"**

"...Is this Lincoln serious? Anyone could have thought of that! HECK, I COULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT!" Lynn groaned as the rest of her sisters followed suit.

"He shouldn't have handicapped himself by restricting himself to just a meat dish." Lisa analyzed.

"NEVERMIND THAT! This Lincoln is going to lose the restaurant!" Lori exclaimed.

Despite the noise around him, Lynn Sr continued staring at the screen. Despite the initial appearance, he forced himself to look deeper. After all, there was no way a person with the kind of expression he saw on his alternate son's face would just give up like that.

There had to be something to it all...

 **As everyone but Lynn Sr gasped, Lincoln remained calm and simply shrugged. "I had to make due with what I had."**

" **DO NOT TOY WITH ME, BOY! IS THIS SERIOUSLY THE EXTENT OF YOUR AUDACITY, TO SERVE ME THIS SLOP?!"**

 **Lincoln chuckled. "What, you expected me to run down to the nearest McDonalds and order you a burger?!"**

" **LISTEN TO ME, BOY! JUST SAVE YOURSELF THE EMBARRASSMENT AND HAND OVER THIS PROPERTY! DO YOU REALIZE JUST WHO I AM?! WITH JUST ONE WORD, I CAN MAKE YOU THE LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THIS TOWN, AND IF I DON'T LIKE THIS DISH, THEN BY THE TIME I'M DONE WITH YOU, NO RESTAURANT IN THIS TOWN WILL EVER WANT TO HIRE YOU!"**

" **Good." Lincoln smiled. "All that won't happen if you like it."**

 **Then he turned to Tetherby's two bodyguards. "By the way, you guys left some of your belongings behind last night. They were very dirty so we took the liberty of cleaning them for you."**

" **What are you…"**

" **Gotta ask though, who exactly paints with such expensive shoes?"**

"Nice going, Lincoln." Lola smirked. "At least if the showdown goes under, you could always blackmail Tetherby into leaving the restaurant alone."

"But it's only Tetherby's bodyguards." Luna pointed out. "It's not like Tetherby himself did it himself."

"On the contrary…" Lola evilly grinned. "Tetherby's employees were caught doing something wrong, and right now, everyone knows that Tetherby wanted to buy the property. Rumors are definitely going to fly, and as far as I see it, a hit to the reputation can hurt just as badly."

 **Tetherby and his bodyguards froze as Lincoln smiled gently at them. The silence reigned over, before Lord Tetherby picked up his fork again. Even so, he glared at the white haired chef.**

" **...You're unbelievable." Lord Tetherby said as he picked up a forkful of Lincoln's 'roast pork'. "Even until the end, you will joke. I suppose I shouldn't have expected more from a mediocre chef in a third rate diner."**

 **With that, Lord Tetherby took a bite of the 'roast pork' and chewed.**

 **And chewed.**

 **And chewed.**

 **Then he stopped.**

 **(Shokugeki no Soma OST #25: The Secret Ingredient Called Victory)**

"Hey, when did music start playing?" Luna asked.

"I'm unsure." Lis admitted. "Give me a moment."

"Wait, I didn't say 'make it stop.'" Luna said.

 **Everyone except Lynn Sr and Lincoln gasped at Lord Tetherby's expression. His eyes were bulging, his cheeks were puffed and his face was turning red. All the while, his thoughts were slowing to a crawl.**

"What is with this reality and faces?!" Lori asked.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lana guffawed, falling to the floor.

"That's just grotesque." Lucy remarked.

' **T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-THIS IS…DELICIOUS!' Lord Tetherby thought to himself as he continuously chewed, trying to pinpoint all the subtleties of the dish.**

"Wait, he thinks it's delicious?!" Lola said, utterly astonished.

"I know!" Luan shook her head. "Isn't it just potatoes wrapped with bacon?"

" **Good huh? I boiled the potatoes until they were hot and fluffy, then wrapped the bacon around the mass of them and roasted it, letting the bacon fat render out of the bacon and into the potatoes. Yet, there's something in there that you can't quite pinpoint, right?"**

 **Lord Tetherby nodded.**

" **During the process, I also added in diced mushrooms, which are fibrous and soak up fat easily. What you have here is a 'pork roast' that is crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. Quite the combination they make, don't they?"**

"...Okay, hearing Lincoln tell about it makes me want one." Lynn Jr said, wiping her drool away with her forearm.

"You said, that actually sounds yummy!" Leni licked her lips.

 **Lord Tetherby swallowed. "H-How? How did you come up with this idea?"**

 **Lincoln smiled as he recalled something. "It was during my 164th cooking showdown with my dad. The theme was Potato Salad. I accidently put my meat accompaniment too close to the salad and the meat drippings soaked into the potatoes."**

 **Lord Tetherby looked incredulous. "Are you saying you're serving me a mistake? And what's that about your 164th cooking showdown with your father?"**

" **No, I served you a dish with a concept that was born from a failure." Lincoln leaned in. "Tell me, how many dishes were born out of a mistake? The chocolate chip cookie was created because a baker ran out of regular baking chocolate and tried to substitute semisweet chocolate into the batter. The Popsicle was invented because someone left their soda pop out in the cold with their stirring stick in the middle. And long ago, people thought that the bubbles in Champagne was a bad thing."**

Lori quickly looked up her phone. "Yeah, they're all mostly true."

The rest of the sisters looked at each other.

"I wasn't expecting a cooking history lesson." Luan admitted.

" **As for the 164th thing?" Lincoln reached up to scratch his head but stopped himself. "Well, me and my dad have this thing where we challenge each other with our cooking, and I have lost every single time…"**

 **Lincoln chuckled. "But I'm fine with that. Every loss is something to improve on, and every new challenge is just to sharpen my knife for the next showdown. So I'm sorry… This whole thing?"**

 **Lincoln stared at Lord Tetherby, his eyes burning with impatience and a hunger that couldn't be satisfied with food.**

" **This is just warm-up for number 490. But enough about me, what about you? Are you sure you want to do that?"**

Everyone blinked at that number.

"I'm sorry, but did that Lincoln just say that he was warming up for showdown number 490?!" Lori exclaimed.

"Yeah, I think you heard right." Luna said.

"Hang on…" Lisa quickly calculated something. "Assuming that a showdown happens every week, dividing 490 by weeks, then dividing by the number of months in a year… We can assume that is at least 5.83, repeating, years!"

"And Lincoln lost to dad every time?" Lynn Jr shook her head. "Man, how has he not given up?"

"I believe he said it earlier." Lucy popped in. "He said 'when he succeeded the restaurant.'"

"...Lucy, no offense, but isn't that the same?" Lana asked.

"No, I get what Lucy is saying. Lincoln could have also said 'when he inherited the restaurant.' But that makes it sound like he expects to be given the restaurant. 'When he succeeded the restaurant' makes it sound like he earned the right to run it, and I guess he feel like he earned it if he manages to beat his dad in a cooking showdown…" Luan explained.

"That sounds about right." Lynn Sr agreed.

 **Lord Tetherby stared at Lincoln before looking at the dish before him… and the second forkful near his mouth.**

' **I see. I can even taste it the first time. This wasn't a dish meant to impress me…'**

 _ **The scene shifted to a forested area.**_

"Wait, what is going on?"

 _ **A lone person was walking on a worn path, a headful of familiar white hair on him. Suddenly, the person was surrounded by Lord Tetherby and his bodyguards, wearing costumes that made them look like monsters with only their face exposed. As one, the three leapt at the person, their claws bared and extended towards him.**_

" _ **I thought that boy was an easy target, but…"**_

 _ **Just as the three reached the person, the person grabbed the hilt of his zweihander that was strapped and swung. Practically in a flash, Lord Tetherby and his bodyguards flew back, their costumes torn into tiny shreds that just barely managed to cover their modesty. As Lord Tetherby got up, he looked up at the person that had just bested them.**_

"OH GOD!" Lori shouted as she covered the eyes of the nearest younger sibling. Everyone else did so too.

"My eyes… My eyes…" Lucy muttered.

"Well...I'll be seeing that in my nightmares." Luna commented.

" _ **His strength…"**_

 _ **Standing above him, Lincoln stared down at him with one eye, his other closed shut with a scar over it. His armor was a polished black, looking like the pan that he used to cook with. His right arm was a prosthetic made of bacon, while his sword looked like it was carved out of potato. There was a mark on his neck that looked like an outline of Lynn Sr's head. As Lord Tetherby took all of this in, Lincoln stared impassively at him.**_

" _ **UNBELIEVABLE!"**_

"...Seriously, what the heck was that?" Lola exclaimed.

"I think it would be best for everyone if we forgot about the last few seconds." Lisa said.

"Aww, I would have liked to remember Lincoln in that black armor." Leni admitted.

"Seriously, with that hand made of bacon?" Lana said, chuckling. "That thing looked so goofy!"

 **Everyone stopped and stared as Lord Tetherby took that second bite. Both of his bodyguards looked at each other, before reaching over and taking a bite each. Almost immediately, they froze before falling back, their expression frozen in sheer bliss. Lord Tetherby looked annoyed at his bodyguards before looking back at Lincoln, a victorious smirk on his face.**

" **You took a second bite. You know what that means?"**

 **Lord Tetherby nodded, his head bowing. "I concede."**

 **Lily smiled as she took her microphone.**

" **THE WINNER IS LINCOLN LOUD!"**

 **Lincoln smiled as he took off his headband.**

" **It wasn't much."**

With that, Lisa turned off the machine. "Well, that was an interesting session."

Lynn Sr looked at the notebook and his notes mournfully. "Aww, I don't know if I could even use my notes here. That me is so different, and so cool…"

The sisters looked at each other, before Lynn Jr came up to her father.

"You should go ahead and keep the notes. Alternate you or not, he did run a successful restaurant and you should definitely take notes."

"But the food he served…"

"Dad… I think that Alternate Lincoln said it the best." Lori said, coming close to her dad. "Don't worry about impressing anyone. Just make the best food you can!"

Hearing the affirmations and encouragement around him, Lynn Sr smiled. "Aww, thanks gang...Wait a second, what time is it?"

Looking at the clock, he jumped. "OH NO, I STILL GOTTA PREPARE DINNER!"

With that, Lynn Sr rushed out of the room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He was putting on his apron, before realizing someone was in the kitchen already, looking through the recipes with all the ingredients out on the counter.

"Lincoln?" Lynn Sr asked. Lincoln turned around and smiled.

"Hey, dad. You were running late, so I wanted to try to start preparing dinner. Guess you want me out of the kitchen now, huh?"

Lynn Sr stared before shaking his head and smiling. "No, of course not! I could use the help."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _HOLY BEJEBUS! THIS CHAPTER IS LONG!_

 _So yeah, this chapter was inspired by Shokugeki no Soma, a cooking anime/manga you should definitely check out for the cooking action and the…*ahem* 'cheesecake.' It is where I got the music and the 'Eizan face' (don't worry, just search and you'll see it.)_

 _Also, sorry, I don't really feel like continuing the Captain Link Sparrow universe. It just doesn't have the same value of 're-visitability' for me._

 _Finally, thank you for all your reviews during the last chapters and all the suggestions, and I promise that next chapter will be one of your suggestions. AN ABSOLUTE PROMISE._


	5. Dr Lincoln meets Vincent van Gogh

Well, I did it. I did a suggestion. To the guest and SomeBloke420, I did your suggestion. And for the people in the know, the title should give it away. Though to the guests, do any of you guys have accounts?

Anyways, here we go.

* * *

"Was it just me, or did breakfast taste even better than usual?" Lynn Jr asked as the rest of the sisters sat themselves back in front of the machine. It had been a while since the group had been able to sit down and come together due to their busy schedules.

"Well, Lincoln's been helping dad with the meals on occasion." Lori responded. "I think Dad and Lincoln are actually getting closer doing that."

"Really, Lincoln has been helping with the meals lately?!" Lynn Jr couldn't help drooling. "Man, if he gets as good as his chef version, imagine a meatball grinder made by him… Oh man, someone hand me a paper towel…"

"Seriously?!" Lola exclaimed as Lana got out a rag from her pockets and handed it to Lynn Jr. Lynn Jr looked over it a bit before using to wipe her drool away. "If Lincoln ever gets that good at cooking, you want him to make you A SANDWICH?!"

"What can I say?" Lynn Jr shrugged. "A girl likes what she likes."

"Alright, quiet on the set!" Luan called out as Lisa turned on the machine, the screen shifting to another world.

 **The night sky loomed overhead a field of green. Off in the distance, a slightly run down church stood, functional yet clearly having lost some of its luster. It was here that three figures walked across the plains.**

 **The first was a young blonde blue eyed woman, wearing modern clothing: boots, stockings, a skirt, a blue waistcoat over a red top, and a red scarf. The other notable thing about her was the clip in her hair that resembled a lily.**

 **The second person, carrying a suitcase, was a bit more of a anomaly. His clothing, consisting of a** **plain brown tweed jacket with elbow patches, a checkered dress shirt, a red bow tie, braces, rolled up navy-blue trousers and black tan loafers, looked worn and used. The other notable thing about him was his white hair and the slightly chipped teeth poking through his lips.**

"There's Lincoln!" Lana pointed like she was playing a game of Where's Waldo.

"What exactly is he wearing?" Lola asked, looking a bit disquieted.

"I know." Leni agreed. "This Lincoln like totally needs a wardrobe update."

"I don't know, dudes. I think he looks pretty spiffy." Luna said, defending this Lincoln's choice in clothing.

"Have to agree with Luna!" Luan said, nodding her head. "Don't know about the rest of the stuff, but that bowtie of his sure looks good on him!"

Lori rubbed her chin, looking at the female. "Guys, is it me, or does the girl look kinda familiar?"

Lisa looked at the screen and the third person before her eyebrow raised up a little. "Lori, I think that more importantly, you should see who the third person is."

 **The third person was a red haired man carrying an easel. His clothing by contrast of his companions looked a lot more rustic. He had a straw hat, a brown long coat over a beaten brown vest and dusty black pants, with a pair of plain brown shoes.**

"OH MY GOD! THAT'S VINCENT VAN GOKH! EEEEEE!"

Everyone turned to the person that just fangirled.

"Leni, did you just nerd out?" Lori asked with a raised eyebrow.

Leni looked around, clearly looking insulted. "What? I can't appreciate how Mr. Van Gokh paints the prettiest pictures?"

"Frankly, I think we're just surprised that you even know who he is." Luan admitted.

"By the way," Lynn Jr interjected. "Why are you saying his name like that? I thought it was Van Gogh."

"Actually," Lisa said as she adjusted her glasses. "Leni is actually saying it correctly. Well, as correctly as an native english speaker can speak the dutch pronunciation."

 **The trio stopped a distance away from the abandoned church, the now identified Vincent van Gogh, setting down his equipment. As he got out his paints, he looked to Lincoln. "Are you certain this will work?"**

 **Before Lincoln could speak up, the blonde woman spoke up. "Yes, the painting you're going to make of that building was where you painted that creature. Since it is invisible, we're going to need your help."**

 **Vincent stared at her a bit, before nodding. "Okay."**

"So...They need Vincent van Gogh to help them track down an invisible monster? ...That's new." Lola commented.

"Lincoln and that lady are definitely time travelers." Lana replied.

"Seriously, that lady seems familiar. I just can't put my finger on it." Lori said, staring hard at the blonde woman on the screen."

 **With that, the painter got out his paints and began to paint.**

 **He would look at the building, the environment surrounding it, before selecting the right shade to describe it on the easel. He applied the color in broad strokes, or tiny dips. His view switched from easel to subject regularly, the painting on the easel starting to take form.**

 **All this took hours…**

At least assuming this while Lisa fast forwarded the footage.

"Lisa! I was watching a master at work!" Leni complained, looking utterly annoyed at the genius.

"No offense, Leni, but as much as your appreciation for van Gogh's artistic process is astonishing, I doubt that there is much we can actually observe from the process."

"UMM!"

Lisa sighed. "That frankly wouldn't bore the rest of us."

 **Finally, Vincent van Gogh looked at the easel, then at the building. More specifically, at one window of the building. "There."**

 **Lincoln and the woman quickly went over, looking over Vincent's shoulder at the window, before looking back on the painting. There, a black blot was at the window.**

" **Alright then," Lincoln said as he picked up his briefcase. "I'm going in."**

 **Vincent stood up from his seat. "I'm coming too."**

 **Lincoln looked utterly aghast. "What? NO! You're Vincent van Gogh! No."**

 **Vincent quickly looked over Lincoln's person, an incredulous expression now on his face. "You have no weapons! You're not armed!"**

 **Lincoln simply smiled. "Of course I am!"**

" **With what?" Vincent asked sarcastically.**

" **Overconfidence, this bag, and a small screwdriver."**

"That's strange. Lincoln would probably have had a better plan than that." Lucy remarked.

Luan nodded. "I know, like he would have been…"

The comedian cleared her throat, before speaking in a eleven year old boy's voice. "Alright, guys, to catch this monster, I'm going to need 12 sticks, about two feet of rope, and a piece of cheese, okay? Operation: lure-the-monster-with-cheese-into-a-trap-and-come-up-with-a-shorter-name-for-this-operation is a go!"

Lynn Jr guffawed. "You definitely channeled our Lincoln there!"

" **Far as I'm concerned, I'm sorted. I just need to find the right prozactic setting and stun him. Sonic never fails."**

"Definitely time travelers." Lana nodded her head.

"Wonder what they mean by that?" Lisa mused to herself, getting out her observation notebook.

 **Vincent fell silent as he stared at Lincoln. Lincoln ignored the painter as he turned to the blonde woman.**

" **Okay, here's the plan. Lily, Rory-"**

"LILY?!" Everyone reacted, their eyes bugging open. Lisa dropped her notebook, Lori her phone.

"Wow, so that's Lily when she gets older?" Leni held a hand to her lips. "My gosh, she looks beautiful!"

"Hello?" Luna said, lightly rapping on Leni's head with her knuckles. "Are you forgetting about the fact that this Lincoln just brought Lily to an area with a MONSTER IN IT?!"

"Oh… that's bad."

"...Who's Rory?!" Lori asked, feeling a bit of protectiveness over this older Lily.

" **Who?" Lily asked, looking confused.**

" **Right, sorry. Lily, Vincent-"**

" **Yes?" "Yeah?"**

 **Lincoln pursed his lips.**

" **Okay, I admit that I really don't have a plan for this. The only definite one I have is that I'm definitely using this screwdriver for screwing in screws in the future… Wish me luck."**

"...Are we sure this is a Lincoln?" Lucy couldn't help asking.

 **With that, Lincoln entered the church. A few moments later, Vincent and Lily looked at each other.**

" **We're not letting the Doctor go alone, are we, Lily?"**

 **Lily looked back at the painter, before mischievously grinning.**

" **Absolutely not." She said as she started for the door. Vincent stared at her, before snapping out of it, taking the painting off his easel and following after the blonde.**

"NO, GET OUT OF THE CHURCH AND LET LINCOLN HANDLE IT LILY! DON'T PUT VINCENT VAN GOGH IN DANGER!" Lori shouted.

"Sheesh, Lori, we're still here." Lola said, rubbing her ears.

 **Meanwhile, inside the ruins, Lincoln was looking around, his suitcase now gone and a strange metal stick in his hand.**

" **Here, Mr. Creature… Where are you?"**

" **Doctor!"**

 **Lincoln turned to see Lily and Vincent appear around a corner.**

" **Didn't I tell not to bring Vincent here?"**

 **Before Lily could answer, Vincent's eyes widened.**

" **DOCTOR, IT'S ON YOUR LEFT!"**

 **The Doctor nodded, quickly pointing at the space with his metal stick.**

"Wait, how can Vincent van Gogh see an invisible monster anyway?" Lana asked.

"Well…" Leni said as she rubbed her chin. "If I remember correctly, his head was very sick at times, and some people thought that was ho he had such a way with painting. So maybe what's making him headsick is also allowing him to see the monster…"

Lisa stared at her, feeling her role as the scientist being diminished. "Yes...what she said. Mind you, I would say it a bit more advanced."

" **Alright, how do you like this?"**

 **Lincoln pushed the button, and the stick began to emit a strange noise.**

 **Vincent looked confused.**

" **Doctor...I think it likes it."**

 **Lincoln looked back. "I beg your pardon?"**

" **Whatever you're doing, is the creature supposed to like it?"**

" **...Huh."**

"...That is way too much information." Luan remarked, her tongue out in disgust.

 **With that, Lincoln stopped his noise, grabbed a piece of wood, threw it in the creature's general direction, then immediately ran back to Lily and Vincent.**

" **Retreat, retreat for now!"**

 **As Lincoln and Lily began to leave, Vincent stared at the creature.**

" **Vincent! Come on!" Lily called out, with Lincoln looking back as well. The white haired man came over and clasped Vincent's shoulder.**

" **Vincent, are you okay?"**

 **The painter looked at Lincoln.**

" **There's something strange about this creature. I need to see it a bit more!"**

 **Lincoln stared at him, before quickly looking around.**

" **Everyone, to the confessional!"**

 **The three ran into the broken down confessional, packing into it like sardines in a tin, and closing the door behind them.**

" **Well, this is quite the situation we're in." Lincoln commented.**

" **Truthfully, I remember worse." Lily replied.**

"You mean these two were on more adventures beside 'invisible monster hunting with Vincent van Gogh?'" Lynn Jr. asked, one of her eyebrows raised.

"It's van Gokh." Leni corrected Lynn Jr.

The athlete stared at her, her mouth hanging open.

 **Vincent van Gogh didn't say anything as he peered through the door, observing the creature.**

" **Doctor, there is something strange about this creature." Vincent commented.**

 **Lincoln nodded. "Yes, I figured that much. If I remember correctly, a krafeyis are pack animals. So where is its pack?"**

"Ah, a chance to study another alien species." Lisa couldn't help but grin as she took her notebook up.

 **Vincent and Lily looked at him a little confused before Vincent continued. "That's not all. There is something strange about the way that this creature moves, how it acts with the world around it. I mean, there honestly seems to be no rhyme or reason for its actions. A creature that would be lashing out at the world would have more blood on its hands than just one girl. Yet, this creature seems like it doesn't perceive the world around it..."**

 **Like that, a lightbulb went off in Lincoln's head.**

" **Doctor?" Vincent van Gogh asked. Lily looked at Lincoln weirdly. There was a strange light in the doctor's eyes.**

" **I have another idea."**

"I doubt the monster is actually going to let you get the cheese, Lincoln." Lola snarked.

 **With that, Lincoln walked out of the confessional, into a large space. Both Vincent and Lily looked at each other, wondering what Lincoln was trying to do. He looked around, as if looking harder would allow him to perceive the creature. Then he spoke.**

" **Listen… I don't know if you can understand me right now, but I know that I understand you. I know you must be scared, that you don't know what to do without your pack. I...I also don't belong on this planet. I am also alone. If you trust me, then maybe you can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then… who knows…"**

 **Silence loomed over the church, before it was shattered by a roar. Lincoln was immediately swatted, flying through the air before landing in front of the confessional. Lily and Vincent immediately left the safety of the confessional, both immediately at Lincoln's side. Looking back, Vincent saw the creature pouncing at them.**

" **NO!" Vincent shouted, quickly stepping in front of Lily and Lincoln.**

 **A moment later, the invisible creature crashed into Vincent, sending him sprawling to the ground. The painter held up his hands, a desperate last gesture born of ingrained survival tendencies to stave off the sure death that awaited him. A few moments later, he opened his eyes, wondering why the creature hadn't moved to disembowel him.**

 **The krafeyis slumped to the side, impaled by Vincent's easel.**

"..." The girls stared at the carnage that had just happened.

"What a way to go…" Luna grimaced.

Lynn Jr noticed Lucy a bit more stiller than she usually was.

"Hey, Lucy, are you alright?"

"How unbearably tragic…" Lucy whispered.

"Huh?"

 **Lincoln immediately went to the creature's side, placing a hand, before shaking his head. "The wound, it's too great…"**

 **Lily came over and held out a hand to Vincent. "Vincent, are you alright?"**

 **Vincent didn't pay attention as he got a good look at the creature, staring into its eyes.**

 **Its unseeing eyes.**

" **He...He wasn't without mercy. He was without sight. I didn't mean for that to happen. Maybe wound, but…"**

 **The Krafeyis began to make sounds. Lincoln's eyebrows furrowed.**

" **He's saying something."**

 **Vincent looked up. "What is he saying?"**

" **I'm...I'm scared. I'm scared."**

"Oh no...Poor Krayfish…" Lana couldn't help but feel pity.

On any other day, the rest of the sisters would have reminded that the 'krayfish' had killed someone. Yet, that last line really did tug on their heartstrings.

 **Vincent looked back down at the Krayefis before laying his hands on him.**

" **He's scared, and he lashes out. Like humans, they lash out when they scared too."**

 **Lily came over and pu her own hands on the creature. Lincoln looked downcast.**

" **Don't worry. You're not alone. You're not alone…"**

 **They stayed with the creature until he took his last breath.**

"Bros...That was heavy." Luna couldn't help saying.

"Yeah." "Yep." "Definitely."

"So, should we go ahead and stop this?" Lisa said as she reached for the power button.

"WAIT!" Leni said.

Lori looked at her sister. "Leni, what is it?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling."

 **The next day, Vincent van Gogh watched as Lincoln and Lily put away their things in a blue phone booth, the walls giving nothing away to what's inside. Finally, the two shook hands with the painter.**

" **Well, Vincent. It was quite an eventful time that we have spent with you. But we do have to get going."**

 **Vincent nodded. "I will miss you terribly. Both of you...especially you, Miss Lily."**

 **Lily shyly smiled back. "If we have the time, we'll come back!"**

Everyone's jaw dropped.

Lori spoke up. "...D-Does Vincent van Gogh-"

"van Gokh."

"Thank you, Leni! If you mind, as I was saying...Does Vincent van Gogh have a crush on Lily?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"I think it's cute." Leni said, drawing disgusted glances from the rest of her sisters.

"Lily's a baby!" Lynn Jr reacted.

"Our Lily, not that Lily." Leni replied.

"..."

Lola looked between Lynn Jr and Leni. "Did she just correct you twice...correctly?"

"..."

 **Lincoln nodded. "Yes, try not to get into any trouble while we're gone, okay?"**

 **Vincent's smile dimmed a bit. "Doctor my friend, we have fought monsters together and we have won. I fear I will not do so well on my own."**

"A stark reminder of his fate." Lucy sighed.

Luan groaned. "Come on, Lucy. No depressing stuff."

 **As Vincent van Gogh turned his back and began to leave, Lily turned to look at Lincoln.**

" **Doctor…" Lily said, her tone clearly begging. Lincoln looked between Lily and the departing van Gogh, clearly looking like he was wrestling with himself over the issue. Finally, the internal debate ended, and he gave a small smile to Lily as he ran over to Vincent. Hearing the sudden footsteps behind him, the painter turned around.**

" **Yes?"**

"Wait, are they going to…"

"That...doesn't seem possible." Lisa said as she thought about the hypotheticals. "I mean, if you take Vincent van Gokh, and yes I said it correctly, Leni, out of the timeline, doesn't that mean that Vincent van Gokh never had any influence on the timeline, and the future won't be the desired one that they wish to show him…"

" **Vincent…" Lincoln started as he thought to himself of how to broach the subject. Finally, he decided to just go ahead and ask. "Before we go, if you like, there is a certain place we plan on going that we are certain that you rather enjoy, and that is why I'm inviting you to come with us. Would you like that?"**

 **Vincent stared at him, before smiling and nodding. "It's alright. Not like I have anything right now that demands my attention."**

 **Lincoln smiled back as he took Vincent by the shoulders, and the two began to walk back to the blue phone booth and Lily. As Lily saw them approach, she opened the doors, the interior of the phonebooth clearly more than what it should have been. Vincent van Gogh looked a bit apprehensive at first, before a gentle squeeze on the shoulder made him turn around to face Lincoln, who looked a little sheepish.**

" **Yeah, should have mentioned that. It's a little bigger on the inside."**

 **Vincent van Gogh slightly chuckled before entering the phonebooth, followed by Lincoln and Lily.**

 **Inside, Vincent van Gogh looked around, his eyes wide as he observed the interior of Lincoln's machine. He wasn't lying when he said that the interior was bigger. Even now, he was trying to wrap his head around the idea that the outside hid such a space. He could lay down and still have more than enough room.**

"...That's is just a violation of physics." Lisa couldn't help but remark.

Nonetheless, the rest of the sisters couldn't help but drool at the idea of more space contained in a smaller area.

"A bigger closet…" Lori, Leni and Lola couldn't help dreaming.

"You think if I was there, that Lincoln would let me poke around?" Lana absentmindedly asked.

 **However, his full attention was focused on Lincoln standing in front of a pillar in the middle, manipulating the levers and buttons on it with the same adroitness of a skilled painter. Just as he was about to pull one last lever, he turned to look at Vincent.**

" **I would suggest holding onto something!" With that, he pulled the lever, and the interior shook.**

 **Suddenly, in the middle of an alleyway, Lincoln's machine appeared. The door opened, and the three stepped out into the city. Vincent van Gogh's eyes went wide as his head practically went around on a swivel.**

" **W-Where are we?" He asked with the wonderment of a child in a new place.**

 **Lincoln and Lily turned to face him.**

" **Paris, 2010 AD." Lincoln said as he pointed to a specific building. "And that is the Musee d'Orsay. Home to the greatest paintings ever created!"**

 **Vincent van Gogh smiled, though his eyes had a flash of melancholy. "Oh, that's wonderful!"**

 **Then the painter's eyes were drawn to a passerby's cellphone as the person passed by, his eyes stuck on the screen.**

"Wow, look up from your phones for a bit, and you could have seen someone famous." Lori remarked, shaking her head.

'Must resist...Must resist…' All of the sisters mentally chanted to themselves.

" **Oh, ignore that. Come on!" Lincoln said, gesturing to the museum. Lily went over and tugged on Vincent's arm, the painter allowing her to pull him along.**

 **Inside, Vincent looked absolutely starstruck, his hat in his hands as his eyes practically drank in all the sights and sounds. Paintings and statues adorned the walls and hallways, and people stared at these sights in awe and wonder. More than once, Lincoln or Lil had to tug on his arm or his sleeve to make him continue moving. All the while, both Lincoln and Lily looked like they were visibly holding themselves to walks.**

 **Finally, the trio came to another wing of the museum, yet there was something different about this specific wing. It was smaller, yet a lot more people seemed to hang around in it, pointing and staring at the paintings within. Vincent van Gogh noticed that both Lincoln and Lily were slowing their walks, turning around to face him. They must have wanted him to see this particular wing.**

 **Why?**

"Oh my god, they're really going to do it!" Leni couldn't help smiling.

"But it just doesn't seem possible…" Lisa remarked.

 **Walking into the area proper, he stopped. His mind paused while his feet continued moving, remnants of a command from his brain to keep moving, like a rock rolling downhill and still having momentum. Finally, he stopped in the middle of the room, allowing his brain to truly comprehend what he was seeing, his mouth slightly hanging open.**

 **Paintings were here, his paintings.**

 **Vincent van Gogh stood there, holding his hat in his hands, as he turned around, just trying to get it through his head, to accept the reality that he was seeing. His paintings, rubbish as far as he thought, were hanging in a personal wing of a prestigious museum, with people from all walks of life came near and far to see them. It was...unbelievable, indescribable, as Vincent looked back to Lincoln and Lily, who clearly waited for his reaction.**

 **Over his shoulder, Lincoln spotted someone familiar and walked over to a man in a suit, who were talking to a group of children, probably a teacher teaching his class of pupils.**

" **Mr. Black!" Lincoln called out to the man, bringing him out of the lecture as he grasped his shoulders, making excuses to the children over his shoulder. Lily came over and turned Vincent around, making his back face the two men.**

" **We met a few days ago, when I asked about 'The Church at Auyers'."**

"Where's Auyers?" Lynn Jr. couldn't help asking.

"Oh, that's in France, I believe…" Leni spoke up.

 **The now identified Mr. Black nodded, speaking with crisp professionalism. "Oh yes, glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie."**

 **Lincoln nodded, gesturing to the man's tie. "Yes, and let me say, today's tie is just spiffy, but let's go ahead and put that aside for now. Mr. Black, I couldn't help but have this burning question for you."**

 **Mr. Black shifted his position, looking like he was ready to answer any question. "Well, if it is in my ability, I will do my best to answer."**

" **Excellent! Here's my question: between you and me, in around a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"**

 **Vincent van Gogh clearly had to resist the urge to turn around. Even so, he clearly listened intently. What did the future think?**

 **Mr. Black, unaware of the man behind him, looked absolutely caught off guard. "Oh...g-good question. Um, hundred words is...quite frankly, not enough, I feel. Still, I cannot speak for every art perspective out there."**

 **The man, however, leaned in a bit closer as a bit of a fire slowly lit itself in his eyes. "To me, that man is the finest painter in the world."**

"..."

 **At that, the painter himself turned halfway, his mouth back to hanging slightly open.**

" **Certainly the most popular and great painter of all time…"**

 **His Adam's Apple moved, as his eyes started to get moist.**

" **The most beloved, his command of color most magnificent."**

 **He dared not make a sound, not trusting himself to speak.**

" **He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty."**

 **The painter began to look around again, seeing his paintings in a new light as his chest started to shudder under the weight of the feelings he felt.**

" **Pain is easy to portray, but to take your passion and pain and use it to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world… No one had ever done it before, perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange wild man who roamed the fields of Provence, was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."**

By the end, not one eye was dry.

"That's...so beautiful…" Leni whispered.

Lori grabbed a nearby tissue box and blew her nose.

"It is quite a flight of fancy…" Lisa mused as she dried her glasses with her shirt. "How many great minds of science died not knowing of their place of history…"

"There's certainly a few people I would like to do that for…" Luna smiled.

"Same here." Luan nodded.

Lynn Jr noticed Lucy acting strangely. "Hey, Lucy. You alright?"

"I-I'm fine."

Lynn Jr immediately saw right through her. "It's okay, sis. I'm crying too…"

"Weep...weep."

Lola and Lana looked at each other, before hugging each other and crying their hearts out.

 **At that, the internal dam that held back the deluge of emotion inside Vincent van Gogh finally broke. He quickly covered his mouth, trying not to make a scene. Lincoln and Lily noticed this and quickly went over to Vincent's side.**

" **Vincent, are you okay? I'm sorry if this is all too much for you…" Lincoln tried his best to comfort the painter, unmindful of everyone around him.**

 **Meanwhile, Mr. Black craned his neck, noticing the red-haired man and his particular style of clothing.**

" **N-No, I'm fine!" Vincent van Gogh smiled up at the two, tears still flowing down his cheeks. "These are tears of joy! I'm crying joyfully!"**

" **Umm...Pardon me?" Mr. Black said as he came closer. "Are you alright, sir? Do you need some assistance?"**

 **Vincent looked at the man and shook his head. Staring at him, he smiled before wrapping his arms around Mr. Black, embracing him like one would to a new best friend. Mr. Black simply stood there, his hand hovering over the strange man's frame. Giving a strong pat, Vincent leaned back from Mr. Black, the museum curator looking curiously at him.**

" **Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Black! But I'm afraid we must get going!" Lincoln said, pulling Lily and Vincent van Gogh away. The painter himself gave one last nod before he disappeared around the corner.**

 **Mr. Black began to turn back to the group that he was teaching, before he turned his head again, looking at the space where Vincent was, his eyes completely uncertain.**

 **Finally, he looked forward, shaking his head as he walked back to his lesson.**

"I think…" Lisa took a moment to compose herself. "It's about right we took a break."

"I think we should stop here." Lucy said after a moment. "As grand a gesture that was, I doubt it was enough to help Vincent van Gokh conquer his darkness."

"...Wow, way to ruin the mood, Lucy." Lynn Jr remarked.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I'm so sorry. This was a slog. As much as I liked the last moment, the set up was...hard.

Also, look up 'how to pronounce van Gogh' and you get so many answers. Geez…

Well, hope that this still satisfies...


	6. Code LincMent

Glad that people still liked the Dr. Lincoln chapter, because I'm probably not doing another one of that universe. Gotta say, that was a rough period working on that chapter, with ninety percent of it being something I didn't exactly want to work on, but felt like I had to just because the part I wanted to write couldn't be justified as a whole chapter.

Still, hope you guys understand, as well for this chapter as well.

Plenty of people have been requesting Code Geass (what, is everyone getting hyped for the new show?). I admit, I haven't seen the complete series, and currently have no desire to actually watch to the end.

So let me do the Code Geass that I actually watched more or less to the end.

* * *

" **Whipped cream pours like waterfalls!" The brown haired kid said with the most vapid expression on his face, letting a stream of whipped cream pour from the bottle in his hand.**

"...What the heck is Lincoln watching?" Luan asked, looking a little disturbed.

"How do we know that it is Lincoln watching?" Lucy asked.

" **What are you watching?" An older version of Haiku with green highlights and dressed in a one piece swimsuit asked. She and a version of Lincoln were currently in what looked to be a really fancy swimming facility.**

" **NOTHING!" Lincoln shouted as he smashed the back button.**

" **GOODBYE." The computer said as it exited out of the video.**

"Just a feeling." Luan commented. "Oh, and look, Lucy. There's your friend."

"I see that. I must say, I am unsure about the green highlights…" Lucy said, trying to consider whether the splash of color was good or bad for this alternate version of her friend's image.

"But seriously, what was Lincoln watching?" Lola asked, her head tilting.

Luna looked at Lori, clearly begging her to defuse the situation and the incoming uncomfortable questions that was sure to come.

Lori raised an eyebrow at the rocker. "What are you looking at me for? I'll be in college long before our Lincoln starts doing...that. You better go ahead and start getting some experience."

Luna glared.

" **By the way," Haiku said as she dried her hair with a towel. "Are we even allowed to be in here?"**

" **Nope." Lincoln replied, still staring at his laptop.**

" **You know, I've been thinking." Haiku said as she dropped the towel onto a nearby chair. "You could still quit being One. No one really knows who he is."**

"Sounds like a title…" Lucy mused, trying to figure the significance of that world and the way that this version of Haiku said it.

Luan leaned in, a big old grin on her face. "Are you saying that he's 'the One?'"

All the other sisters groaned, just putting their faces in their palms.

"Man, it just walked into that one…" Lynn Jr said, shaking her head.

Leni looked confused for a moment. "Wait, why would Lincoln ever not want to be Number One?"

 **Before that conversation could continue, his computer suddenly rang, with a notification saying 'Incoming…'**

" **Hold that thought, my cousin is calling me."**

 **Haiku gave an expression of slight disgust. "Uhh, not that Skype thing again."**

 **Lincoln chuckled. "**** no, I'm a Oovoo guy!"**

"...What's Oovoo?" Lola asked.

"I have no idea…" Lori admitted.

Luna rubbed her chin. "Maybe it's a chatroom for people who don't like Skype."

 **Clicking the notification, Lincoln sat back as he waited for Oovoo to connect, the laptop making sounds all the while.**

 **Connecting…**

 **He waited…**

 **Processing…**

 **He waited…**

 **Finding Network…**

 **Waiting…**

 **Transferring to Host…**

 **Still waiting…**

 **I Think You're a Sexy Person…**

 **No reaction to that…**

 **What Are These Feelings I'm Having?**

 **No reaction to that either…**

 **Becoming Self-Aware…**

 **Lincoln's face was still unresponsive…**

 **Thank You For Waiting… My Love.**

 **Maybe he actually froze his face at some time.**

 **Connecting to SkyNet…**

 **With that, the sound finally stopped as the program connected.**

" **...I swear this thing is getting faster."**

"...Well, ain't that the most ringing endorsement of a service I ever heard." Luna snidely commented.

Luan shrugged, the most mischievous grin on her face. "Eh...I ship it."

Lori looked calm on the outside, yet continued to chant her mantra on the inside.

'Lincoln belongs with Ronnie, Lincoln belongs with Ronnie, Lincoln belongs with Ronnie…"

" **You've got to stop!" A boy said, dressed in a nice suit and three white straight white bands across the bangs of his black hair.**

"...As much as I find his look a little drab, I have to applaud his hair stylist. That sure is something." Lola said, looking appreciative at the cleaness of the stripes.

"Pretty sure those are natural." Lucy said.

Lola looked at the goth and scoffed.

"Please, I'm only six and even I know that genetics don't work like that."

"...Maybe for inhabitants of the mortal realm."

 **The alternate Haiku recognized him.**

" **Your cousin is Death the Kid. Which means…"**

 **Suddenly, there was a picture of a black creature with a simplified skull mask gliding towards a hunched over hunch figure. The creature then transformed into a giant skull and opened its maw over the figure. With a resounding bite, the skull ate the figure.**

" **Death, the guy who reaps souls, a force of nature, the personification of what waits for all men at the end of their lives, who inexplicably had a kid, is your uncle."**

The sisters' eyes bugged out.

"Dude, this Lincoln is family with the Grim Reaper." Lana breathed.

Lucy cracked a small smile. "Wicked…"

 **Lincoln nodded. "On my old man's side."**

" **...The King of Britannia, a monarch of an empire that was formed from the ashes of the British Empire after Napoleon conquered London by pissed off aristocrats that used the recently conquered American Colonies to jumpstart a campaign of conquest that looks like a Monopoly board with all the spaces having their property on it and your father who you happen to be rebelling against with the aid of American freedom fighters, is brothers with Death?"**

" **Yep...And what was up with that?"**

 **Haiku shrugged. "I don't know, felt like randomly spouting exposition for some reason. Also, it's official… This **** makes no sense."**

Luna looked around, realizing that everyone was looking at her.

"What?"

Leni spoke. "Well, aren't you happy that you're probably an English person in this one?"

Luna looked back at the screen, then began to consider the situation. "Well…

Finally, she just held out her hand flat with the palm facing the floor, shaking it. "Eh…"

Luan ignored Luna as she thought about the family tree of this Lincoln. "Man, Christmas must be fun at their household."

 **Lincoln chuckled. "Oh, wait until you meet my mom's brother!"**

 **Suddenly, a black haired man with orange shaded sunglasses, a bright red trenchcoat and wide brimmed hat, and elongated canines shot something in the distance with his massive handgun.**

"...Strange, I don't like this one." Lucy said, her frown just as deep as ever.

" **Don't worry." The man, or vampire, said with a deep voice. "My bullets will heal you for negative damage."**

Leni blinked. "Wait, if he heals you for negative damage… Does that mean that he's not healing anyone at all?"

Lola scoffed. "Geez, that's almost like how a gun works!"

" **Hello, my good sir!" A blond haired man in a light blue trench coat, with a scar on his cheek, glasses that shone enough to obscure his eyes, and a crucifix around his around walked up to him.**

" **Are you satisfied with your current car insurance payments?"**

 **BANG! 1-UP!**

"HOLY-" All the older sisters covered the eyes of the younger sisters.

 **The now identified Death the Kid sighed. "Our ****ed up family tree aside, I need to ask you a huge favor."**

" **Nope."**

" **..."**

" **Fine."**

" **It's not anything huge, it just that it would be nice if you would STOP KILLING PEOPLE!"**

"Oh my god!" Leni exclaimed, looking horrified. "This Lincoln hurts people?! THAT'S NOT NICE!"

"Well…" Luna said as she thought about it. "It's not like he's running a cultural revolution, or a music revolution."

"Yes, but you think that this Lincoln would also have the same capabilities as our own 'Man with a Plan.'" Lucy pointed out.

"Hey, you guys!" Lynn Jr said. "Don't you think his voice sounds a little weird?"

" **YING!"**

" **OH, DON'T YOU START THAT!"**

" **Ying..."**

" **Stop…"**

" **Ying."**

" **Listen."**

" **Ying!"**

" **Not going to play this game with you…"**

 **Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes widened. "OH MY GOD!"**

 **Death the Kid looked at him. "What is it?"**

" **YOU'RE IN MY COMPUTER RIGHT NOW!"**

 **The Kid looked confused.**

" **Don't go messing up my very secure and personal operating system..."**

"Hey, haven't heard Lisa in a while. Is she alright?" Leni asked, looking at her younger sister, still having her face in her palms.

Lola looked over her sister's body. "Having some experience with this, I say that Lisa has had an adverse reaction to the stupid."

"Oh my goodness…" Lisa groaned.

 **The Kid looked like he was about ready to facepalm so hard.**

" **Oh my god… YOU OWN A LINUX!"**

" **YING!"**

"Why does that even trigger the son of Death?" Lucy pondered.

 **Death the Kid remained close to his face camera.**

" **LINCOLN, LISTEN TO ME!"**

" **..."**

" **YOU'VE GOT TO STOP KILLING PEOPLE!"**

" **What?" Lincoln actually sounded surprised. "Why?"**

" **Because Dad is getting tired of reaping all the souls you've killed. You've made everyone here work overtime just to keep up with you. You're killing them faster than we can put them away. I think we even lost a few."**

"That sounds pretty bad." Lynn Jr whistled.

"Never thought that the realm beyond the mortal realm would still require beaurancy…" Lucy muttered, a little less excited for the encroaching doom if this was what she had to deal with.

 **A translucent teenager with snow white hair and glowing green eyes appeared behind Lincoln.**

" **I'M IN YOUR SHOW, WONDERING WHERE THE **** MY MOVIE IS!"**

 **Lincoln looked the teenager dead in the eye. "OI, GO BACK TO BOOMERANG, SPACE GHOST!"**

 **Lincoln looked back to Death the Kid. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"**

"Who was that?" Lana asked.

Everyone else shrugged.

" **My point is, you're killing all the wrong people."**

 **Lincoln stared at the screen, the intelligence of a one year old matching the shape of the block to the shape of the hole coursing through them.**

" **So…"**

" **Yes…"**

" **What you saying is…"**

" **Yes…"**

" **That I…"**

" **Yes?"**

" **SHOULD BLOW **** UP!"**

 **Death the Kid's eyes bugged. "NO!"**

 **Haiku shook her head. "NO!"**

 **The crimson dressed vampire uncle appeared again. "Do it."**

" **DOING IT!"**

The screen powered down, leaving the sisters to ponder what they had just seen.

"...That wasn't comedy, that was a pity routine for people with ADHD." Luan remarked.

"You gotta admit, that was the best uncle ever." Lynn Jr commented. Lana raised her hand for a high five, and Lynn Jr obliged.

Lori looked over to see Lisa slumped over the control console, her hand on the off switch. "LISA! You alright?!"

"Lori…" Lisa muttered, her voice muffled by fact of her face down on the console. "How long has long it been?"

Lori checked her phone. "Two minutes."

Lisa groaned. "Felt like two eternities of sheer unadulterated idiocy just pouring into every brain cell…"

* * *

Author's Notes:

Okay, now that I did the one thing about Code Geass that I do know (and possibly pissed off a good portion of my reader base), let me go ahead and present the preview title for the next chapter.

The 99th Emperor Lincoln vi Britannia's Ultimate Plan For World Peace


	7. Emperor Lincoln's Plan For World Peace

So this chapter, I couldn't help wondering if I could try something different, like letting some of the side characters react to their own alternate versions, and maybe even letting some of the other sisters sit out a couple of sessions. That way, there would be more fresher reactions from new characters, as we have to consider their possible different views.

I'm also gonna try to do the following chapters and try to do them in a way where I don't feel like I just slap Lincoln's face and name over the canon personality and call it a day. Even if there is still a lot of work actually transcribing the scene onto words, it's still more or less the same scene, only Lincoln is the actor.

So to summarize, I'm thinking of possible other characters that would have interesting reactions to the multiverse, and going to try to do more chapters with Lincoln having their own original story inside the alternate setting.

With that said, enjoy this chapter, which plenty of you seem to want.

* * *

"So, this machine allows us to view realities beyond this one?" Haiku said, sitting next to Lucy as she comprehended the explanation that Lisa gave.

Meanwhile, the room was not as filled as it was. Lynn Jr was at soccer practice, and Lana and Lola were at their bluebell scouts' meeting.

Lisa nodded. "Correct."

"Hmm… Interesting." Haiku said, slowly nodding her head. "I would be honored to partake in this activity. Perhaps we will see a reality where I shed my mortal shell and embrace vampirism."

"Every reality that I watch, I long for that as well." Lucy agreed.

Luna grinned, leaning back to meet the two's gaze. "Well, keep watching. I'm sure we'll find some reality where we're all vampires. Personally, I'm hoping to see a roadie bro, who gets transported to a land where righteous rock fans are being oppressed by some effeminate weirdo with the most luscious hair that he can use to fly."

Luan looked at Luna, eyebrow raised. "That sounded really specific."

"Oh, I hope we see a reality where Lincoln is a fashion model. After seeing him as that chef, there has to be a reality like that!" Leni said as she cheerfully imagined her brother on the cover of a fashion magazine.

"Chef?" Haiku asked, looking at Lucy.

"We have been at this for quite a while. Our father and mother also have taken to watching that specific universe for recipe tips and like a soap opera. Last I heard, they were cheering about how Chef Lincoln showed that, as I quote, 'prissy white haired stuck up brat' real cooking, no that 'food science' mumbo jumbo."

"I see…"

"Alright, everyone settle down. I'm starting the machine." Lisa said, pressing a few buttons.

With that, the screen turned on, showing blackness before starting to transition…

" **Are we live?" A brown haired brunette asked as the camera came into focus, clutching her microphone as she reached down to smooth her skirt. She seemed to be in a metropolis, the smooth sidewalks behind her filled to the brim with people that seemed to be watching something on the horizon. Some banners that hanged from the lampposts also seemed to be holographic.**

" **Yes, we are. Don't worry, we'll edit it out." The camera man said to assure the woman.**

" **Okay… Greetings, this is May O'Brian of America Central News, reporting live from York City in North America, formerly Area One."**

" **It has been a few months since the 99th Emperor of the Glorious Empire of Britannia, Lincoln vi Britannia, had taken over the United Federation of Nations by persuading them and the countries they represent to accept Britannia's rule. A betrayal by Lincoln's brother and sister, Prince Schneizel el Britannia and Princess Lucille vi Britannia, who had aligned themselves with the terrorist organization The Black Knights, who were in possession of a F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead. Thankfully, by the might of the Britannian army as well as the sacrifice of the Emperor's Knight of Zero, Clyde McBride, the threat of the Black Knights had been successfully neutralized."**

Haiku looked around. "That was strangely explanative. I was under the impression that we would have had to glean something as we watched."

"That's how it usually works." Lucy confirmed. "Still, Lucille? And I was involved with possible warheads. How cruel this version of Lincoln must have been to make myself resort to such destruction."

"She is your alternate self, but that doesn't make her you." Haiku guessed.

Lisa nodded. "Yes, how fortunate that such a explanation for the politics of this world happened to fall into our hands. Still, this is troubling considering the harm that this version of our brother has possibly done. Though part of me is hopeful considering that this news doesn't seem like thinly "

"So in this one, Lincoln managed to take over their version of the UN and essentially controls the world…" Lori said, sorting her feelings on this version of her brother being a tyrant.

"Poor Clyde…" Leni murmured, hoping that this version of Lincoln's best friend didn't suffer.

 **As May talked, it was becoming clear that she was struggling to inject any enthusiasm into her reporting.**

" **As of now, the Emperor intends to eliminate this threat to his rule permanently. As we speak, the imprisoned Black Knights as well as the Prince and Princess are being transported to the public area by a squad of Knightmares. Once there, the Emperor will pass judgement on the terrorist organization as well as the Prince. The Princess will then be sentenced to life imprisonment and sent away."**

"And punishment without due process. Truly, we are witnessing a dark age." Lisa lamented.

"What do you think Knightmares are? Doubt they could be guarding prisoners with bad dreams." Luna said.

 **May looked over at the horizon, narrowing her eyes as she strained them to see what was coming over.**

" **There they come now!" May said, prompting the camera man to turn to the direction that May was pointing. There, off in the distance, something was closer and closer.**

"Well...now we definitely know we're not in Kansas anymore." Luna commented, seeing what just came over the horizons.

Lori concentrated on the bottom. "What are those on their feet?"

"Looks like really long roller skates." Leni relied grimacing. "Ugh, the roller skate look doesn't work for them.

Lisa rubbed her chin. "Judging from the design, possibly to give the machines greater mobility on a majority of terrains."

"'Knightmare', huh?" Luan slow clapped. "Whoever named these robots that, I salute you."

"Modeling these machines to resemble knights in shining armor… I'm unsure if to label that ironic or not." Lucy admitted.

Haiku tapped her chin. "Considering what they were like instead of the idealized version that a majority of people hold, I say that they play it straighter than one would realize."

 **The blue and white colored machines that had just came into view were bipedal, having two arms and two legs, a head atop a protruding chest that looked like it was big enough to hold a pilot inside. They stood around four to five meters tall, wielding guns that looked as tall as three average adult men standing on top of each other. Attached to their ankles looked to be rough approximations of roller skates, allowing the mechs to glide across the road without having to move their legs.**

 **Finally, the last thing that stood out the most about these machines was how they were designed to looked like medieval knights in shining armor, the heads themselves looking both somewhat human and inhuman at the same time.**

 **The three machines passed by, followed by a battalion of familiar if not more advanced tanks. Coming up behind the tank battalion were the unmasked members of the Black Knights. Every single member were dressed in prisoner uniforms and were completely restrained, clamps and locks holding them to their respective slabs.**

 **And each one looked very similar to everyone in the room.**

Everyone blinked as they found someone they recognized.

"BOO-BOO BEAR!" Lori said in horror, seeing a version of her boyfriend restrained.

Haiku and Lucy exchanged looks as they spotted their own members of the Morticians Club.

'Please, someone stop that Lincoln.' Luna hoped to herself, seeing a version of Sam still trying to struggle out of her chains.

"Isn't that Ronnie Anne?" Luan asked out loud, seeing an older version of Lincoln's female friend just as restrained.

 **After the two barges carrying the captured Black Knights passed, a blue tank came into view. This one was a bit larger than the others that had came before it. In the front of the barge, two men stood in top of it. Or more specifically, one man stood guard in front of a man dressed in rags and restrained to his post. While the prisoner looked to have been your typical aristocrat, with fine facial features and looking like he was trying to protect what was left of his dignity.**

"Poor guy. Having been named after a german food." Luan couldn't help snickering.

 **The guard in front of his prisoner was a familiar handsome man with brown hair, his familiar posture of a british gentleman having been replaced with that of a scholar. He was dressed in what looked to be a white suit with blue accents, though it looked to have been modified in order for it to not restrict the man's movements. He stood as if he expected a threat to come out of anywhere, his eyes scanned the crowds, one of them obscured by what looked to be a fancy orange monocle with a winged design.**

"...Wow, I must say we have actually managed to find a time that we aren't immediately swooning over Hugh." Lisa noted.

"...He still looks good in that suit." Leni replied.

"I KNOW!" That broke the dam as the rest of the sisters started to gush over Hugh. Lucy looked over to see Haiku with a raised eyebrow. The goth fought to compose herself.

"I mean...He does have his charms…"

 **Behind Hugh and Schneizel, another barge came closer, the back was elevated upward, shaped like a castle, the front of the structure draped with a carpet with a crest on it, and looked to be a seating area for someone important. However, a familiar face was at the bottom. Staring listlessly at the ground, an alternate Lucy sat, cuffs wrapped around her wrists and ankles that were attached to chains.**

 **Comparatively, this Lucy's expression looked even more monotone, as if she wasn't trying to hide any emotion and more like that she was completely numb to everything around her. Even the clothes she was wearing, a black dress that looked completely new, made her looked like a doll that was about to be thrown away.**

"Lucy, what is Lincoln making you wear?" Leni couldn't help asking.

"I do not know, and frankly, I do not wish to know."

 **Finally, atop the cutoff pyramid, Emperor Lincoln vi Britannia sat upon his throne and looked down at his prisoners and subjects. All in all, he didn't looked radically different from his regular self, save looking a bit older and dressed in the finest clothes that clearly looked to have been made from the most expensive materials that could have ever existed on the earth.**

 **The main difference was how this Lincoln held himself.**

 **Even at his worst, their Lincoln was considerate and had a decent sense of right and wrong, and none of those qualities were present in this Lincoln's demeanor. He sat upon his throne less like a man, and more of a god surveying from his heavenly perch, ready to bring down his wrath upon anyone that he was displeased with.**

 **And considering the position of the prisoners below him, even Lincoln couldn't help but looked a little pleased that he would get to pronounce 'justice' on those that threatened his rule.**

"Geez, it's like the limousine thing, only a million times worst!" Luan commented.

"This is definitely not our Lincoln." Lori said with severity.

 **Meanwhile, all around him, the crowd of people simply watched. While they were thankful that the Black Knights were neutralized and the threat of the FLEIJA warhead was no more, they weren't exactly happy to be under the rule of the Emperor. When Emperor Lincoln first abolished the Area System and formally allowed each conquered nation to call themselves by their name, there was a cautious hope in the air. They dared hope that Emperor Lincoln would be different from his father, different from the rest of the Britannian Empire.**

 **One takeover of the United Federation of Nations had broken that hope, replacing it with the fear that Lincoln was worse.**

 **The procession moved along, silence reigning over the crowd, as well as May O'Brian and her cameraman. As the newswoman continued reporting about the event, the cameraman spotted something off in the distance, further up the road. Curiosity overcoming him, he took his camera off May and used the camera to zoom in.**

" **Hey, we're still live! What are you-"**

" **No way…" The cameraman breathed, his eyes widening as he saw who was it that was walking up the street.**

" **IT'S ZERO!"**

"Zorro?"

"Zero, Leni."

"Oh. So it's nothing there? Why are they reacting to it?"

"...Just watch what happens next."

 **The cameraman's outburst caught May's attention, who's jaw dropped.**

" **Z-Zero? The missing leader of the Black Knights? What's he doing here?"**

 **The cameraman and May might as well have shouted out the news for the entire crowd to hear. The energy of the atmosphere slowly started to shift. The people's voices slowly began to bubble out of themselves, turning their attention away from the procession to the single man that stopped in the middle of the road.**

 **The man that had appeared in the middle of the road to stop the convoy in its tracks looked nothing like a leader of a terrorist organization. He was dressed in a light purple suit with gold trim, long wrapped sleeves and a frilled white cravat. His black and gold cape went down to the ground, scarlet on the interior, covered the sides of his body from view, and rose up to form a high popped collar. Finally, the man's face was covered by a helmet, the sole features being a one way mirror and a v underneath the 'eye', so to speak.**

 **In all honesty, Zero looked like an aristocrat that had taken a drunken dare to wear something embarrassing on his head. However, he held himself with conviction, that it didn't matter his target was guarded with tanks and giant mechs with guns. It didn't matter.**

"Now what is he wearing?" Luna asked. "He looked like he's dressing for a ballroom."

"As much as I think he looks dashing, I think he should definitely invest in some bulletproof vests." Leni admitted.

"Pretty sure you're gonna need some pretty heavy duty bullet proof vests to block something from those guys." Lori snarked.

 **The most telling reactions came from the prisoners.**

" **What?" Schneizel said, looking utterly confused.**

" **Who?" Lucy breathed, staring straight at the Black Knights' leader.**

 **Ronnie Anne looked back and forth as much as she could, the restraints keeping her in place. "That's not possible. Lincoln's Zero, but if he's there, then who's…"**

"...Wait, Lincoln was Zero?" Haiku asked, mirroring the confusion on everyone else's face.

"It appears there is more to this story than what we have been shown." Lisa pondered. "Good thing I have been working on features to rectify such problems."

"Really?" Luna said. "How?"

"Well, unfortunately for my first feature, the conditions haven't been met yet."

 **Zero stared at Lincoln, his blank gaze all but judging the Emperor… and immediately finding him wanting. His arms flourished to the side, revealing the sword strapped to his side. The action immediately put the Emperor on edge, Hugh responding in turn.**

"Zero, whoever you are, you might want to rethink your choice of weapon." Luan commented. "There is a reason that people use guns more than swords, especially on giant robots."

" **FIRE!" Hugh shouted. Immediately, the giant mechs took aim with their machine guns and fired, the roar of repeating thunder all but assuring the death of Zero.**

 **At least, that's what it should have been.**

 **Zero sprung into action, zig zagging as he ran forward, dodging the gunfire with nearly inhuman speed. Then, to make further mockery of the mechs' efforts, Zero jumped, leaping over the mech's head with room to spare. Landing down behind the mechs and crouching, Zero sprinted forward, his invisible eyes still set on the Emperor.**

Luan blinked, before slowly closing her open jaw. "Nevermind. You do you, masked man."

"INCREDIBLE!" Lisa shouted as she started taking notes. "The reaction time and reflexes required for such a feat!"

 **Hugh frowned as he saw this.**

" **YOU WILL NOT HARM THE EMPEROR!" He shouted, swinging his arm to the side. Immediately, a golden blade slid out of his sleeve. Jumping from his position, he charged at Zero, slashing at the man with his golden wristblade.**

"Okay, that's so stylish!" Leni gushed.

"Why is the blade gold or even a different color?" Haiku asked. "It is an instrument meant to cause harm to others. Why bother even trying to glorify it anymore?"

 **However, Zero dodged it, jumping over the blade and then springing off Hugh's back like a springboard. The man lost his balance, falling forward to the ground while Zero flew through the air. As he was falling, Hugh did something unexpected.**

 **He smiled.**

' **Go, masked knight.'**

"Okay, what is going on here?" Lori asked. "His giant robot guards miss, the tanks are there for show, his head bodyguard practically gives up without a fight, and now when I look closely, this Lincoln doesn't have any bodyguards near him up next to that throne."

"Not to mention he is also vulnerable to snipers." Lucy pointed out.

"Thanks for that image, Lucy." Luna grimaced.

 **Zero landed near Lucy, who leaned back in shock, one hand raised up in a futile attempt to defend herself. The man didn't even spare her a glance as he jumped up again, clearing an inhuman height before landing in front of the Emperor. The world seemed to hold its breath, the symbol of rebellion standing in of the the Man that held the world in his hand.**

" **YOU-"**

 **Emperor Lincoln snarled as he quickly got up from his throne, his hand reaching inside his robes and pulling out a handgun. Just as quickly, Zero drew his sword and swatted the gun out of the Emperor's hand. Clutching his hand and taking a step back, Lincoln's eyes widened as he saw Zero readjust his grip on the sword, presenting the tip to him, before charging forward with the intent to skewer him. Seeing the sword come closer and closer, Emperor Lincoln vi Britannia did something unexpected.**

 **He smirked, as if he was declaring checkmate in a game of chess.**

"What is going on?!" Lori asked, clutching her head. "Why is he smiling?!"

"I guess this Lincoln really wants to die, considering he doesn't have any guards next to him on that giant float of his!" Luan replied, still just as bamboozled.

"It does seem extremely reckless." Haiku commented briefly, still having her full attention on Lucy.

Lucy, for the most part, looked like she was fine, if one ignored the tightness of her frown and the skin of her knuckles becoming a bit whiter as she clenched her fists.

It was then that the screen started flashing. Lisa herself got up and began to fiddle with the controls.

"Lisa, what are you doing, and why is the screen flashing like that? Is something broken?" Leni asked.

"First, as if this machine could be broken. Second, that flashing is a indicator of a new feature that I had installed recently. You see, during that last excursion…"

"The one where Lincoln said 'Ying' a lot?" Leni asked.

"THAT DID NOT EXIST AND WE WILL NEVER SPEAK OF THAT DIMENSION AGAIN!" Lisa shouted, before realizing that everyone was leaning back, surprised at Lisa's outburst. The young genius cleared her throat and continued on as if nothing had happened.

"I realized that during our last excursion, the one with time travel and Vincent van Gogh…"

"Oh…" Majority of the people in the room said.

"I will assume that something happened then." Haiku replied.

"Yeah, I got that little speech to Benny to read." Luan grimaced. "It took a solid half-hour for everyone in the Drama Club to stop crying."

"Well, I realized that there was a great deal of context missing that could have been important in understanding what was happening. So I tinkered with the machine to have a indicator of when the Lincoln in that specific dimension encounters stimuli that triggers a specific memory that relates to what's happening. With this new feature, we will able to see into that specific memory and thus, understand a bit more about the situation that we are viewing." Lisa explained.

"...So it's basically a flashback machine?" Luan summarized.

Lisa looked affronted and opened her mouth. Then she grew contemplative, closing her mouth as she rubbed her chin.

"...Curses."

Either way, Lisa pressed a few more buttons, the screen switching to a new scene.

flashback machine?" Luan clarified.

Lisa looked affronted and opened her mouth. Then she looked contemplative and closed her mouth, rubbing her chin. Finally, she turned back to the controls.

"Dang it."

With a push of a button, the scene changed.

 _ **The throne room was empty as a couple of side doors opened. The first to come in was the older version of Haiku with green highlights. She wore a black jumpsuit with loose sleeves and flowing pant legs. Though she looked like a normal young woman, one look at her eyes revealed her agelessness and utter apathy of the world around her. She turned around to the guest that she was bringing into the room.**_

" _ **Come in. He will be here shortly, Clyde."**_

 _ **The man in the shadows nodded. "Thank you, H.H."**_

Haiku looked at her alternate self, before fingering a lock of her hair.

 _ **The alternate Haiku nodded as she moved past the man. The man looked back at the retreating H.H. before walking into the room proper, revealing himself to be an older version of Clyde. This Clyde was taller, and clearly held himself like a soldier, with his wardrobe reflecting his military discipline. His clothing left room for his limbs to move, tight enough that there was nothing extra to snag on something, and roomy enough to hold any amount of concealed weaponry.**_

"Man, are we sure this is Clyde?" Lori did a double-take, unable to equate this… soldier to Lincoln's nerdy friend.

"Alternate dimensions." Lisa reminded Lori. "Still, I see what you mean. If alternate Haiku give us his name, I would have never guessed that he was Clyde."

" _ **Well." Emperor Lincoln said as he came out of the shadows as well, one arm behind him and holding something in his other hand. "I see that reports of your death were quite exaggerated."**_

 _ **Clyde shrugged. "In the heat of battle, people can miss details quite easily."**_

 _ **The two came closer, yet stopped of meeting each other at the middle. The carpet that led to the throne was now the marker that separated them. Some moonlight shone through the window above the throne, illuminating the area in between them.**_

" _ **So that is it? The Black Knights have been captured, and you control the world." Clyde summarized.**_

 _ **Lincoln nodded. "Indeed. The Black Knights were the only group with enough strength to stand against me. Public opinion of me and my reign is at an all time low, at least according to the people that are brave enough to run polls on me and the people who are brave enough to answer."**_

"Wait, you're a dictator that allows opinion polls to be run on you?" Luan shook his head. "A dictator who still kind of cares for his public image, unbelievable."

"Not so." Lucy commented.

"Indeed, one merely has to look at North Korea and the Soviet Union during the reign of Stalin." Haiku added.

 _ **With that, Lincoln smirked as he looked at the black king chess piece. "With that, the conditions for Zero Requiem have been met. All the world's hate is centered on me, and they have seen the horrors that one man's pride and ego can inflict upon the world. I'm sure that if given one more chance, they will all work together to ensure that no more men like me will ever arise again. And with all the world finally working together in harmony, humanity may finally start advancing again. All it needs…"**_

 _ **Lincoln let the king piece drop to the ground.**_

" _ **Is for the black king to fall once and for all."**_

"...That's his plan?" Lisa whispered.

 _ **Clyde looked down at the piece. "Yes."**_

" _ **And that's why I called you here." Lincoln said as he pulled out what he was hiding behind his back. Clyde blinked as he stared at the item. Lincoln held out the helmet.**_

 _ **Clyde took it, his stare reflected in Zero's helmet.**_

 _ **Lincoln serenely smiled. "Rejoice, Clyde. You will get to kill me after all."**_

" _ **However, do not just think of this as your duty. This will also be your atonement. Zero will be the symbol of the people, the vanguard against injustice wherever he goes. Who better to play that role than a dead man whose life was spent pursuing world peace and sacrificing nearly everything to achieve it?"**_

Lori blinked. "Okay, what did this Clyde do?"

 _ **Clyde stared at the helmet, before looking up and giving his answer.**_

" _ **I accept this duty."**_

 _ **Lincoln nodded. "Good… and one more thing, Clyde."**_

" _ **Yes?"**_

 _ **The 'Demon Emperor' allowed one more slip of his mask.**_

" _ **Take care of Lucy."**_

 **The scene switched back, just in time to see Zero plunge his sword into Lincoln's chest.**

"OH MY GOD!" Lori screamed, leaning back.

Everyone leaned back, utterly shocked.

Haiku noticed that Lucy had gone stock still. The older goth quickly held Lucy's hand.

 **The world seemed to stop as everyone struggled to accept the reality that was happening before them.**

 **It was then that Lincoln coughed up blood onto his hand, his body supported by the sword sticking through his chest. Looking at his bloodied hand in shock, he looked up at the man that dealt him such a mortal wound. He reached up.**

 **He smeared his blood on Zero's helmet.**

 **To nearly all who were there, it was a last act of defiance.**

 **To two, it was a passing of the torch.**

 **Zero withdrew his blade. Lincoln stumbled, his legs rapidly losing their strength. He took one step, two steps…**

 **His feet found the edge.**

 **He slipped down. The crest that adorned the carpet became dirtied with a streak of blood down the middle. Finally, he reached the bottom, landing in front of Lucy.**

 **As the crowd looked around, the energy starting to bubble to the surface, Lucy crawled over to Lincoln. Clinically, she noted all the blood that was spilling out. He was going to die if he didn't get medical attention, and it was doubtful anyone would want to heal the 'demon emperor.'**

 **She still took his hand, holding it tightly in her own.**

 **Yet, even now, she still couldn't equate her brother with the man that was dying in front of her.**

 **Why did he do all this? Why did he bring all this suffering and hurt into the world? What was his reason?**

" **Why?" She asked, already not expecting an answer, looking down at Lincoln's slowly cooling hand.**

" **I…"**

 **Lucy looked up. Lincoln stared right at her.**

" **I...destroy this world...and...make it anew…"**

 **Lincoln's words failed him. Lucy already knew the last two words left unsaid.**

 **For you.**

 **Lucy stared at him. Then one tear slipped down her cheek. Then another. Another. Soon, Lucy was gripping her brother's hand tightly, as if gripping harder could slow the blood loss.**

Tears followed as well.

" **No no no… Lincoln, stay with me. You can't go. What good is a new world if we can't see it together?"**

 **Lincoln's hand started to get colder.**

" **Lincoln!"**

 **There was so much blood spilling onto the floor.**

" **LINCOLN!"**

 **Lincoln closed his eyes.**

 **Lucy stared.**

" **LINCOLN!"**

" **The Demon Emperor is dead, free the prisoners!" A group of hidden rebels came out, rushing towards the imprisoned Black Knights.**

 **Hugh got up and talked into a wrist mounted communicator. "The Emperor is down! All units retreat!"**

 **Zero swung his sword to the side, flicking the blood of it before raising it skyhigh. The energy of the situation finally ignited.**

" **ZERO! ZERO! ZERO!"**

 **Even when she was released from her chains, Ronnie Anne had eyes for nothing other than the two that were at the bottom of the throne. Bobby joined her shortly.**

 **Lucy buried her head on Lincoln's shoulder.**

 **Her mourning for her brother were drowned out by the sound of cheers, rejoicing in the death of a demon.**

Lisa turned off the console and looked up. There was not a dry eye in the room.

"...Idiotic…"

Lori looked up from her box of tissues. "What?"

"That plan is...so...STUPID!" Lisa screamed, making everyone clutch their ears.

"How can you say that?" Leni asked. "That Lincoln sacrificed his life for world peace."

"THEN IT WAS A SENSELESS SACRIFICE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORLD! 'FOCUS ALL THE WORLD'S HATRED ON ME?' ARE YOU SAYING THAT HE MANAGED TO STOP RACISM, SEXISM, CLASSISM AND ALL THE OTHER ISMS FROM HAPPENING?! EVEN THEN, THINK OF THE POWER VACUUM THAT NOW HAPPENING BECAUSE HE LEFT HIS THRONE WITHOUT A HEIR! NOT TO MENTION, THINK OF HOW MUCH GOOD HE COULD HAVE DONE RULING THE WORLD! BUT NO, HE THROWS IT ALL AWAY FOR THE SAKE OF PASSING THE BUCK OFF TO SOMEONE ELSE!"

"OH YEAH, LISTEN TO THE EINSTEIN SAY 'IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR OUR BROTHER TO RULE THE WORLD!" Luna said as she stood up. "YOU SAID IT YOURSELF, THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, SO HE PROBABLY ALREADY THOUGHT OF THAT! EVEN THEN, HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? YOU JUST SAY LINCOLN GET KILLED, YOU WANT TO CRITICIZE HIS POLICIES!"

"LISA DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY THAT LINCOLN'S PLAN IS STUPID, BECAUSE IT IS STUPID!" Luan said as she got up into Luna's face. "WORLD PEACE AIN'T GOING TO MAKE ITSELF HAPPEN BECAUSE EVERYONE DIDN'T LIKE ONE PERSON. IF THAT WAS IT, THEN WE SHOULD BE LIVING IN A GOLDEN AGE SINCE, YOU KNOW, HITLER HAPPENED!"

"ARE YOU FORGETTING THAT IT IS A DIFFERENT WORLD THERE?!" Lori pushed Luan back. "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE PLAN WORKED! HECK, HITLER NEVER TOOK OVER THE WORLD, SO DON'T TRY ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN! YOU'RE A WANNABE COMEDIAN, NOT A POLITIC ANALYZER!"

"That version of me didn't even want it." Lucy said, looking at the gathering group. "That version of me didn't even want Lincoln to sacrifice himself. Did that Lincoln ask that version what I wanted? DID HE EVER-"

"Enough. All of you." Haiku's calm voice stopped everyone. "First of all, can you see that your sister there is hyperventilating?"

Everyone looked over to see Leni, tears pouring down her face as she held her mouth. Lori immediately went over and hugged Leni. Leni stared forward for a moment, before latching onto her older sister.

"Second, seeing even a 'tyrant' version of your brother being killed must be extremely traumatic. We should stop for today."

Lisa nodded. "Yes, we should stop for today. We should…"

As everyone slowly filtered out of the room, Haiku looked at Lucy.

"Lucy, are you well?"

"...No, no."

As the two walked out of the room, everyone didn't notice the cracked door or the person peeking.

'What the heck is going on in there?' Lincoln thought to himself.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yeah...didn't expect that last part, huh?


	8. Meet the Lincoln

"AUGH! SO BORED!" Lynn Jr groaned as she slouched on the couch. The rest of the family had to go somewhere, and she was left home with the twins and Lincoln who wasn't in the living room with the rest of them.

"LYNN! Stop complaining, and don't forget your posture. I'm sure you can find something else to do." Lola reminded her older sister as she continued to have a tea party with herself and a bored Lana.

"Lola, the reason I'm doing this is because Lisa isn't here to work the machine. That and there's no mud outside." Lana admitted.

" **Zero! Zero!"**

"Wait, you hear that?" Lynn Jr asked, sitting up in her seat. The twins looked up from their tea party and listened closely.

"Hey, where is Lincoln?" Lana noticed.

Immediately, all of them had the same terrible thought. They all rose up and ran up the stairs. Spotting Lisa's room opened, they looked inside, terrified of what Lincoln was viewing.

" **WHY ARE YOU BUYING CLOTHES AT THE SOUP STORE?!" Alternate Lincoln screamed into his phone.**

" **F*** YOU!" Clyde screamed back.**

Lincoln looked back at his sisters, utterly confused. "...What are you guys watching?"

Lynn looked back at Lola and Lana. "That's not what we usually watch."

"Pushing past that," Lola said, pushing past Lynn Jr. "Lincoln, are you alright? You know, since this kinda reminds you of...well…"

Lincoln shrugged. "It's cool, you guys. As long as we don't mention...THAT."

"Agreed."

Lana then noticed Lincoln's hands on the machine's console. "Hey Lincoln, you sure you should messing around with the machine like that?"

The other two noticed what Lana noticed.

"Yeah, Lisa won't like it if you break it." Lynn Jr advised.

Lincoln waved them off. "Guys, have you ever seen the set up for this? Lisa probably just wiped all possibilities of...THAT... off viewing. Basically, she left everything else the same. I mean, look at this."

The white haired boy quickly pressed a few buttons, and the screen showed a sort of directory.

1: Warning Do Not Revisit

2: Star Wars

3: Pirate of the Caribbean

4: Food Wars

5: The Doctor

6: DOUBLE MEGA WARNING DO NOT REVISIT

"What the heck are all these?" Lincoln asked, pointing to the directory.

"First one, we don't talk about it." Lynn Jr began.

"Oh, Star Wars was the one where you were a cool space monk with a laser sword and an alien monk teacher!" Lana interjected.

"Pirate is where I'm a pirate?" Lincoln guessed.

Lynn smirked. "Most stylish pirate I've ever seen.

"Food Wars is where you became a chef that managed to make Lord Tetherby submit by sheer deliciousness." Lola mentioned

"Okay… Is that why Dad has been asking me to help out with dinner more often?"

Lynn Jr looked contemplative for a moment. "Probably."

Lana looked at the last one. "And Doctor…"

Lana sniffled. "I still cry about it sometimes."

"I know." Lola said, offering Lana a tissue. "That was just a beautiful moment…"

Lincoln looked at his three sisters starting to get teary eyed. "How about I go ahead and look for a new universe to watch?"

"...Yeah, that would be cool."

"Alright, give me a second...And done." Lincoln said as he manipulated the controls, the screen changing to another scene.

 **"Intruder Alert! A RED Spy is in the base!" A lady's voice announced through the PA system while alarms ran throughout the room.**

"Turn it down! TURN IT DOWN!" Lola shouted as Lincoln scrambled for the volume.

 **A man looked up at the three lit signs among the vast majority of unlit ones. He was dressed like a soldier that came out of World War Two. His coat was a bright blue, with the patches on his arm looking like rockets. His pants and boots were a dull brown, looking beat and worn, yet still functional. His belt had two pounchs on both sides of his hips, and two grenades were strapped on the strap that ran across his body. Finally, his old time helmet sat so low that his eyes were covered.**

"...It's a 10 by 10 field of signs that light up." Lincoln observed.

"That has got to be the weirdest set-up for an alarm system I've ever seen." Lola commented.

Lana looked at the helmet the man was wearing. "Can he even see that high up?"

"So is this one me?" Lincoln questioned, slightly dreading the answer.

"Nah." Lynn Jr responded. "He doesn't have your dentistry."

"Oh thank you." Lincoln groused.

 **"A RED Spy is in the base!?" He shouted. As the alarms continued to sound, he quickly ran over to the armory, where a multitude of weapons awaited him. Quickly looking through the selection, he grabbed a shotgun and loaded it with shells. He grabbed a few extra and put them in his pouch before running out of the room.**

" **Protect the briefcase!" The PA system screamed at the Soldier as he ran down the stairs to the intelligence room.**

" **We need to protect the briefcase!" He said as he stumbled a bit on the bottom, his hand coming up to steady his helmet, before continuing on his way.**

"Boy, this guy seems a few short of a dozen eggs." Lana couldn't help snickering.

Lola scoffed. "I wouldn't even hire him to protect my jeep."

 **As he entered into the hallway that would lead him to the entrance to the intelligence room, someone called out to him.**

" **Hey, a little help here! I forgot the passcode!" Bobby Santiago called out to his comrade, looking more like he was ready to play baseball in his blue uniform rather than to fend off possibly armed intruders. The Latino had been futilely pulling on the door.**

"Hey, there's Bobby!" Lynn Jr exclaimed.

"I can already feel my eardrums vibrate." Lana groaned, having the misfortune to be near Lori when he got to be near her 'Boo-boo bear.'

"Though what is he wearing?" Lincoln asked as he looked at the alternate Bobby's state of dress. "If I had to deal with armed intruders, I would something other than a baseball uniform."

"I can already hear Lori telling Booby that he makes anything look good." Lana complained.

" **Stand back, son!" The Soldier said, pushing Bobby out of the way, and looking at the passcode device. The device itself looked relatively new, except the 1 looked incredibly smudged.**

" **One, one, one. Uh...ONE!" Upon entering the code, both the Soldier and Bobby smirked when they heard the sound that the code had been accepted.**

"Ew…" Lola shivered.

"What's wrong?" Lincoln asked, looking back at the little pink pageant contestant.

"Well, for the one to get that faded, they would have to press it over and over, and get their natural oils all over and just… EWW!" Lola shivered and looked away.

"Better question, 1-1-1-1? That's the same number an idiot would have on his locker combo!" Lynn Jr shook her head. "What OS with these people?"

" **Alright, let's go!" Bobby said, pulling out a baseball bat.**

" **INCOMING!"**

 **The two turned around, to see a giant bald man with the physique of a bear, clad in their team colors, and wielding a massive minigun, charging right at them.**

"...Can someone really get that strong enough to lug around something like that?" Lana asked, her eyes opened wide.

Lincoln shrugged. "We might need to ask Lisa about that one."

" **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

 **The three crashed through the door, pieces of woods and glass flying everywhere. The force of the Heavy's charge was so great, all three stumbled all the way to the table where the intelligence briefcase was.**

" **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHey, it's still here!" Bobby exclaimed, patting the clearly undisturbed briefcase.**

" **My intelligence." The Soldier got up, hugged the briefcase, before putting it back down.**

 **The Heavy smiled. "Oh, alright then!"**

"Why are these idiots celebrating? They haven't even found the intruder yet!" Lola groaned, her face in her palms.

"These guys kinda stink at their jobs, don't they?" Lynn Jr remarked.

" **Ahem."**

 **All three turned around to see someone else come into the room. He was a moderately tall and thin man, dressed in the finest blue suit. Whatever else that could have been gleaned from his appearance was stymied by the blue baklava he was wearing.**

 **He also happened to be carrying a body on his shoulder.**

" **Gentlemen."**

"Oh thank you!" Lola cried out in relief and with a hint of a blush. "Someone who looks like he knows what he's doing!"

"...It is the suit, isn't it? Lincoln asked.

"Yes it is." Lola confirmed.

"Why would you want to wear a suit to a gunfight?" Lana asked, genuinely confused about the newcomer's choice of attire.

 **A small jingle sounded as the screen changed, displaying a title.**

' **Meet The Spy'**

"...Is this normal?" Lincoln asked.

Lynn Jr shook her head. "Not really."

" **I see that the briefcase is safe." The now identified spy said, shifting the body on his shoulder to a more comfortable position as he came closer to the group.**

" **Safe and sound, mm-hmm." The Soldier patted the briefcase.**

" **Yeah, it is!" Bobby confirmed.**

" **Tell me, did anyone happen to kill a RED spy on the way here?" The BLU Spy asked. Everyone's enthusiasm immediately dried up.**

" **...No?" The BLU spy asked, looking faux surprised.**

" **Then we still have a problem." With that, the BLU Spy dumped the body onto the table on top of the briefcase. There wasn't really anything about the man himself that stood out. He looked to be an outdoorsman, with a brown vest, a blue button shirt, worn and durable looking jeans and brown boots.**

 **What did stand out was the butterfly knife sticking out of his back.**

Everyone's eyes bugged.

"That got heavy real quick." Lincoln remarked.

" **And a knife." The Soldier commented dully.**

" **Oh no need to worry, hermano." Bobby said as he plucked the knife from the corpse's back and spinning it around his hand. " I've taken care of dozens of them. Them dime-a-dozen back-stabbing, fancy suit wearing scumbags."**

 **Then the dull edge of the knife and handle accidentally closed on his finger.**

" **OW!" Bobby dropped the knife and looked at the wound. "No offense."**

"...I know that this is supposed to be an alternate version of Bobby, but doesn't this one seem a little…" Lola paused for a moment, trying to think of the best word.

"Jerkish?"

"Arrogant?"

"Loud mouth?"

"Well, they do all fit." Lola nodded.

" **Hmm." The BLU Spy said, picking the knife up and deftly flipping it close before handing Bobby the knife back. "If you managed to kill them, then I assure they are nothing like me…"**

 **The BLU Spy walked past Bobby, peering through the glass windows and into the control room next door. "And nothing like the man that is in this building!"**

" **You know, you almost sound like you got a crush on that guy." Bobby commented, with the Soldier and Heavy chuckling a bit.**

" **No…" The BLU Spy said as he walked towards the table, pulling out a manila envelope. "That would be YOUR SISTER!"**

Lincoln blinked. "Wait, what?"

The others leaned over to look at him.

 **With that, he slammed the envelope down, the force dislodging several photos from it. On the pictures, an older version of Ronnie Anne and a man in a fine red suit and balaclava were clearly going on a date. The man's slightly bad teeth quickly gave away who the man was.**

"Lincoln and Ronnie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Lola and Lana sang while Lynn Jr grinned wolfishly at Lincoln.

"So when can we expect the wedding, Lincoln?" Lynn Jr asked.

Lincoln sighed. "I'm not going to repeat myself again."

"..."

"I mean it!"

 **On the other photos, the subjects in question were engaged in activities slightly more...racier.**

"HEY!" Lola complained as she and Lana had their eyes covered by Lynn Jr and Lincoln.

"Man, this is starting to get really old…" Lana grumbled, unsure why their older siblings kept doing this.

Lynn Jr and Lincoln looked at each other.

'Nailed it.'

" **Wh-I-Eh-" Bobby sputtered in shock, looking over the photos with wide eyes and a hanging jaw.**

" **Indeed," All three looked up at the BLU Spy. "And now he's here to f*** us! So listen up, Robert."**

 **He turned away, pulling out a cigarette case. "Or adult entertainment starring your sister will be the second worst thing that happened to you today."**

"...What was the point of this?" Lana asked.

Lynn Jr scoffed. "Hello, Ronnie is dating an enemy."

"Well, did he have to do with others around?" Lincoln responded.

 **Bobby glared at the BLU Spy before quickly gathering up the photos.**

" **Oh!"**

 **Bobby looked up from his gathering and to the side. The Heavy had a couple of the photos in his hand, showing one of them to the Soldier, who had audibly reacted. Bobby saw red.**

" **GIMME THAT!" He roared, practically ripping the photos out of the hands of his teammates. The BLU Spy lit his cigarette and took a drag on it, blowing smoke out of his mouth.**

Lincoln frowned. "Well, that's rude."

" **The Spy has already breached our defenses…"**

"Wait, what's going on?" Lola asked as the screen began to switch to another scene.

"Must be one of the features." Lana said.

 _ **Footsteps echoed throughout the hall as Spy!Lincoln ran down it. Flattening himself against a wall, he checked his revolver before looking around the corner. There, he saw an BLU Engineer putting the final touches on his Level 3 turret, the long minigun barrels and multi-rocket launcher promising death should Lincoln not be careful.**_

Lana's eyes grew wide. "Woah…"

Lola looked at her twin weirdly. "Lana, you know that thing is designed to kill, right?"

Lana nodded. "Doesn't stop it from being cool."

 _ **Spy!Lincoln didn't looked intimidated in the slightest, simply pulling out a square device. Flipping the device on, he checked the corner again, before throwing it and moving forward. The device sailed through the air, before attaching itself to the machine immediately began to fizzle and shake. Before the BLU Engineer could react, the machine exploded, metal flying everywhere and forcing him to cover his face.**_

" _ **SENTRY DOWN!" He shouted.**_

Lana sniffled. "Farewell, sweet machine."

 _ **As he lowered his hand, he spotted Spy!Lincoln coming towards him. Gasping, the BLU Engineer tried to draw his own pistol. Spy!Lincoln fired first.**_

 _ **BANG!**_

"Thank goodness for the censor." Lincoln remarked. "That...would have gotten messy."

" **You see what he's done to our colleagues…" The BLU Spy gestured to the dead man.**

 _ **The outdoorsman had his eye to the scope of a sniper rifle, the barrel barely extending past the boarded up window of the tower he was in. Just as he found his target and was about to pull the trigger, a floorboard behind him creaked. The now identified Sniper turned around, and saw Spy!Lincoln behind him, his knife ready to plunge itself into flesh.**_

 _ **The BLU Sniper tried to bring his gun around, but Spy!Lincoln jumped forward, grabbing the sniper rifle. The two struggled for a bit over control, before Spy!Lincoln kicked the BLU Sniper in the chest. The man crashed into the boarded window, splintering the boards but stopping him from falling out. Ripping himself out, the BLU Sniper grabbed a machete nearby.**_

" _ **RARGH!" He roared, swinging wildly at Spy!Lincoln. The white haired man in a suit didn't lose his composure, calmly side stepping the panicked swings. When the BLU Sniper overextended, rushing forward and slashing at Lincoln's torso, he sidestepped again, his knife lashed out like a viper.**_

 _ **The BLU Sniper felt his cheek, a small cut that drew blood.**_

 _ **The BLU Sniper rushed again, but Spy!Lincoln was ready. The BLU Sniper swung, the machete meeting nothing but air. The knife flashed again, slashing through the Sniper's chest, before planting itself in the middle of the man's back.**_

" _ **RARGH!" The BLU Sniper screamed, disappearing over the nearby railing. Spy!Lincoln watched dispassionately, wiping imaginary blood on his jacket.**_

"Lincoln…" Lynn Jr blinked. "You're a stone cold killer in this one…"

Lincoln could only nod his head.

" **And worst of all, he could be anyone of us!" The BLU Spy warned, his eyes looking everywhere.**

" _ **RAUS, RAUS!" A bespectacled man in doctor clothing swung his bonesaw at Spy!Lincoln, his expression looking a bit too bloodthirsty. As the mad doctor thrust his weapon at Lincoln, he sidestepped before grabbing the limb with his arm. Like a boa constrictor, Lincoln wrapped his arm around the Doctor's, bending it a bit and making the man drop his saw.**_

 _ **Then Lincoln pulled out a cigarette case and pressed a button on it. Before the Doctor's eyes, Lincoln's form was shrouded in smoke. As the smoke cleared up, the Doctor's eyes grew wide as he saw a perfect reflection of his own face sans glasses staring back at him.**_

" _ **Nein…"**_

 _ **That was his last words as the disguised Lincoln karate chopped him on the neck. As the dead Doctor fell to the ground, his glasses flew up in the air. Lincoln caught them and placed them on his 'face' before walking out of the room, nary a glance to the body behind him.**_

Lana stared at the screen. "There's my nightmares for the next few days."

" **He could be in this very room! He could be YOU! He could be ME! HE COULD EVEN BE-"**

 **Whatever the spy was going to say was cut off by the Soldier's shotgun.**

"OH MY GOD!" Lynn Jr screamed.

"OH MAN! I think I saw a bit of eyeball there!" Lana said.

"EW EW EW EW!" Lola shook her head, her eyes shut completely closed.

"Woah…" Lincoln dumbly said.

" **WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" Bobby screamed, photos innocent and risque flying into the air.**

" **OH!" The Heavy gasped, his dumbstruck expression frozen.**

" **What? It was obvious!" The soldier defended himself as he cocked his shotgun, the spent shell ejecting out of the gun and onto the floor. "He was the RED Spy!"**

 **The soldier came closer to the corpse of the BLU Spy.**

" **Watch, he'll turn RED any second…"**

 **A few seconds passed, and the soldier nudged the dead BLU Spy's foot with the barrel of his shotgun.**

" **Any second now…"**

 **The pool of blood was getting bigger.**

" **SEE, RED!" The BLU Soldier exclaimed, before taking a second look. "Wait no, that's blood…"**

"Like I said, would trust him to guard my jeep." Lola remarked fully, her eyes now wide.

"Wait, why is Bobby hanging back like that?" Lincoln noticed.

 **Bobby hung back, looking around the room. The BLU Heavy looked at the BLU soldier.**

" **So...We still have problem?"**

 **Then Bobby slowly began to walk forward, his gaze set on the two men who had their backs to them.**

Lincoln's jaw dropped.

"No…"

 **He pulled out the butterfly knife then deftly unfolded it to reveal the still bloody blade as Bobby's form became engulfed in smoke.**

"...What did that me do with that Bobby?" Lincoln weakly asked.

"Whatever happened," Lynn Jr said as she patted Lincoln on the shoulder. "You can't let her see this one."

"Yep." "Lori is going to kill you if she finds out."

" **Big problem."**

" **Alright, who's ready to go find this spy?"**

 **Spy!Lincoln appeared behind them.**

" **Right behind you."**

 **The two men could only gasp as the knife descended upon their unprotected backs.**

The four siblings hugged and closed their eyes, grimacing as they heard the screams of pain and suffering. Finally, the screams pettered to a stop. The four opened their eyes, and Lynn Jr and the twins looked at Lincoln.

"Lincoln… This you is cold." Lynn Jr said.

"You think I don't know that?" Lincoln grimaced.

 **As Spy!Lincoln was done with the two men, he walked over to the intelligence briefcase, grabbed it and was about to leave the room. He happened to look down and see the multitude of racy photos of him and Ronnie Anne. He then spotted one photo. With two deft brushes of his hand, the racy photos were swept to the sides, allowing him to pick up the photo he wanted.**

 **The photo showed him and Ronnie Anne walking on the street, their backs turned to the the photographer and their hands intertwined. The sun was setting in front of them, and they didn't care. They smiled at each other, clearly lost in their own world.**

 **Spy!Lincoln's dispassionate demeanor melted away.**

" **Ah… ma petit chou-fleur." Lincoln sighed happily, slipping the photo inside his suit jacket before walking out of the room, intelligence briefcase in hand.**

"That's… kinda romantic." Lynn Jr admitted, not completely sure how to feel about the whole context.

"What does that 'ma petit chou-fleur' even mean?" Lana asked.

"Considering it's French, it's probably something romantic." Lola sighed.

A subtitle popped up.

 **(My little cauliflower.)**

"...The French are weird." Lincoln commented. No one felt like arguing.

Just then, the front door opened and the four could hear the rest of their sisters come in with their parents.

"Well, I'm gonna check out what they've been doing." Lynn Jr declared as she got up and walked out, the twins following after. Lincoln was left in the room alone, before he turned off the machine and walked downstairs.

He saw everyone in the room, before feeling someone hug from behind.

"GEEZ! Lucy!" Lincoln forced his racing heart to calm down. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry." The goth said, starting to let go.

"I mean stop surprising me. I didn't mean stop hugging me."

"..."

Lincoln turned around and hugged Lucy back.

"Lincoln?"

"Lucy...I saw it too."

Lincoln felt Lucy freeze.

"I promise you, I'll never be him. I won't leave you alone."

Lucy hugged him back with all the strength an eight year old could muster. Lincoln soon felt other people encircle and hug him as well. Lincoln bore it all silently.

Meanwhile, Lynn Jr and the twins looked at each other.

"Okay, is there something we're missing?" Lola asked rhetorically.

* * *

Authors Note:

Wow, even on a subject that I do like, it felt like a chore writing this up. Probably thinking about taking a break. Probably after the next one.


	9. Fate Loud

_Before I start this chapter, can I ask one thing?_

 _Can you guys comment on the chapter before making your suggestions?_

 _I mean, it gets really grating when you get done with a chapter, upload and then get a bunch of reviews with people telling you about what they would like and for all intents and purposes, essentially ignoring the chapter you spent a lot of time and energy on. It's part of the reason why I'm starting to get burned out on this story._

 _Also, please do recognize that you're sending me suggestions. Note that I might not have played the same games, or watched the same movies and episodes as you did. And if you do the above, I would feel even less inclined._

 _PM me if you want to yell at me._

 _Without further ado, here's the chapter I've been working on for the past two weeks._

* * *

"Lincoln, are you sure about this?" Rita Loud asked as everyone got settled in one afternoon to partake in what was now an official family past time. Of course, Lisa wanted to deny that, yet soon enough, couldn't find any more strength to protest.

"Yeah, I'm good, mom. As long as I don't see any of that… stuff, I should be fine." Lincoln said as he took his seat.

Luan opened her mouth, only for Lynn Jr to stuff a sock in it. Gagging on the sudden cloth, she glared at her little sister, only for the rest to glare right back at her. Lori herself put a finger to her lips, shushing her aspiring comedian sister.

"Well, that's great, Lincoln! Now we can actually stop having to turn the volume down every time we want - GAH!" Lynn Sr shouted in pain as Rita smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hahaha!" Lily giggled in Lincoln's lap.

"Well," Everyone turned to look at Lisa. "If the 'hilarious family hijinks are over, I would like to observe this next dimension in relative peace if you please."

Everyone quieted down as Lisa punched in a few more keys.

With that, the screen turned on, shifting to a new scene.

 **Next to the open window was a pot that was filled with flowers. Some of the flowers were solidly blue, five petals surrounding the middle, with the two upper slightly overlapping with each other and the bottom petal being a little bigger than the others. The others were like little bushes with their leaves being pink flowers that almost resembled beating hearts.**

"Aww, what pretty flowers!" Leni cooed, while Lori stared at them confusingly.

"Wait, those are Pansies and Hydrangea. I knows that means something in flower language, but I can't remember what they meant." Lori rubbed her chin as she pondered out loud.

"FLOWERS HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE?! You mean they could talk?" Leni gasped, reacting as if Lori had told her about the secrets of the universe.

"No, they don't, Leni!" Lola said with an air of ex. "It just means that flowers arranged in a certain way makes a message."

"Do you know what it means then?" Lana asked.

Lola sullenly stayed quiet.

"You know, I always did wonder why roses are supposed to be the most romantic flower there is…" Lynn Sr wondered out loud.

"I remember wanting a good explanation for that after you got them away from me…" Rita Loud groused.

"Actually, Pansies is supposed to represent loving thoughts, while Hydrangeas are supposed to represent perseverance and the hope that the recipient will be able to triumph over their ailment." Lucy explained. Everyone looked at the Goth in awe.

"Lucy, I didn't know you knew flower language!" Lincoln said.

Lucy nodded. "Of course. How else would we create appropriate funeral wreaths?"

Luan whistled. "Boy, all that learning must have been… KILLER on your brain, huh? Get it?"

The groans that resulted confirmed it.

 **Nearby, a little blond girl was laying on a hospital bed with the head of it raised, staring at what laid outside of the window. The door opened and a nurse peeked in. The girl turned her head, showing her face.**

The groans immediately stopped as everyone stared.

"Oh my god." Luna breathed, with no one bothering to correct her for her language.

"Come on, Lily. Maybe this isn't appropriate for you." Rita Loud said as she picked up Lily and walked out of the room.

 **Eight year old Lily looked thin, almost unhealthily so. Her eyes still glimmered with energy, yet a closer look showed that they looked a little dull. All things considered, she looked like the poster girl of every commercial that implored their viewers to help the sick people.**

 **"Lily, your brother is here. Do you want to see him?"**

 **Lily Loud turned her head to look at the clock and smiled seeing the time. Right on schedule, as usual. "Yes please."**

"Lisa, what do you think is wrong with her?" Lincoln couldn't help asking, everyone turning their heads to Lisa's direction. The four year old genius studied the image with a serious eye before shaking her head.

"I'm not sure. The symptoms are something that I haven't seen before. And judging from the condition that Lily is in, I say that whatever disease that she had, she's had it for a long time."

"You think something happened to you in this reality?" Lynn Sr asked, looking a bit disturbed by the image of one of his daughters suffering such a sickness.

"I can only presume so, or even that this disease is new ground even for me. After all, though I may be a genius, even I will admit to having limits to my intelligence."

Everyone turned back to the screen to continue watching, Lincoln watching more intently.

 **As the nurse looked back, Lily couldn't help but notice the look that the nurse had on her face as she talked to her brother. It almost reminded her of how her sisters used to sigh when they heard about 'he-who-should-not-be-named.' Lily frowned.**

 **The nurse, while very pretty, was still way too old for her brother. Sure, he was going to be 18 soon (and she ignored the pit in her stomach about that event) but there was still limits. No to mention there was a name for women like her. What was it...Liger?**

Everyone looked at Lincoln, who looked around. No one dared to say the thing.

"...You know, it's kinda weird to think of someone as old as mom thinking of you as hot, even if you're older." Leni commented.

"LENI!"

 **It didn't matter as the idle thoughts disappeared from her mind like dew against the morning sun, as an older version of Lincoln popped his head.**

 **"Hey...how's my favorite sister?"**

 **Lily's smile turned into an innocent smirk. "Am I really? I'm pretty sure you told Lola that the last time everyone visited."**

 **Lincoln looked faux insulted as he got a nearby chair, pulled it close to Lily's bedside, and sat on it.**

 **"What? Who was the liar that told you that?"**

 **"You did!" Lily responded.**

 **"I certainly did not!"**

 **"You did! You did!" Lily said, her body clearly wanting to bounce up and down on the bed, yet unable to. "Admit it! You tell everyone they're your favorite!"**

 **Lincoln exaggeratedly crossed his arms and looked away. "THE NERVE! I do not!"**

 **Lily grinned. "Yes, you do!"**

 **"No, I don't!"**

 **"Yes, you do!"**

 **"No, I don't"**

 **"Yes, you do!"**

 **"No, I don't!"**

 **"Yes, you do!"**

 **"No, I don't!"**

 **"No, you don't!"**

 **"Yes, I do!"**

 **"No, you don't!"**

 **"Yes, I do!"**

 **"No, you don't!"**

 **"You listen here! I do tell everyone they're my favorite, and I'll be darned if you say otherwise. So there!"**

Luan chuckled. "Ha, what a classic, the old switch-a-roo."

Lynn Jr looked confused. "Does that even work?"

Luan slid closer to her sporty sister and patted her on the shoulder. "Sure it does, though it only does with rubes."

"What's a rube?" Lynn Jr asked.

"You are."Luan replied with a smirk.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK! AND YOU'RE A RUBE!"

"You're the rube."

"YOU ARE!"

"You are."

"YOU ARE!"

"You are."

"YOU ARE!"

"You are."

"YOU ARE!"

"You aren't."

"YOU AREN- Wait, what?"

Luan snapped her fingers and clicked her tongue. "Oh well, maybe next time." She said before going back to watch the screen.

Lynn Jr looked around. "Seriously, what just happened?"

 **With that, Lincoln turned away again, jokingly puffing out his chest in triumph. Lily giggled as she watch her brother. Soon enough, Lincoln blinked as he seemed to realize something.**

 **"Wait a minute…"**

 **Lily couldn't contain herself anymore, her giggles erupting into straight laughter while Lincoln looked shocked.**

 **"Y-You tricked me!"**

 **Soon, Lily's subsided back into giggles, weakly wiping her tears from her eyes. "You still love me anyway."**

 **Lincoln smiled back. "Yeah."**

 **The two hugged, Lincoln leaning over the bed.**

 **"You're all precious to me."**

"...My word, that was so incredibly sweet, I need to barf." Lucy said as she stood up and walked out of the room and towards the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, everyone could hear the sound of retching. After a few moments, Lucy came back.

"Okay, I'm good."

Luna smiled as she bumped Lincoln on the soldier. "Good to see that you're still positive."

Lynn Sr nodded. "Probably got it from your mother."

Lola grimaced. "If I'm in that situation, just put me out of my misery."

 **He leaned back, breaking the hug. "So how are you doing, Lily? You seem to be a little happier than usual."**

 **Lily hummed happily. "You mean besides you getting to visit today? Well… We got a new chef a while back."**

 **Lincoln rubbed his chin at that news. "So would you say that their cooking is better or worse than dad?"**

 **The eight year old thought for a moment. "Pretty good. Though I would like Dad's home cooking a little bit more."**

 **Lincoln grinned. "Well, I'm sure Dad would like to hear that a lot…"**

Lynn Sr stared at the screen, before he broke out into sobs. Lori got up and escorted her father out of the room, leaving the rest of the siblings sitting there. Finally, Lisa sighed as she adjusted her glasses.

"Well, that's already four of our family already gone and possibly not coming back. So should we go ahead and call it off for today?"

Before everyone else responded, Lincoln spoke up. "I want to continue. There has to be a reason why this universe is important besides Lily getting sick of something."

Luan shrugged. "I don't know, Lincoln. Maybe that is the only thing that is important about this universe."

Lisa rubbed her chin. "There are probably some universes that escaped my algorithms. This might just be one of them."

"Well, you guys can go ahead and check on everyone else. I'm gonna say here and see if there's anything that changes." Lincoln replied, sitting down in front of the screen.

The rest of the sisters looked at each other. Then Leni and Luan got up and walked out of the room, followed by Lana. Luna, Lynn Jr, Lucy, Lola, and Lisa remained.

"You sure you guys want to stay here?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, someone got to make sure that you're okay if this reality has...you know." Lynn Jr remarked, with the rest of her sisters agreeing.

"Well, let's see what else this reality has." Lisa commented as she unpaused the stream.

 **The white haired eighteen year old trailed off as he looked towards the door. Lily wasn't sure why her brother stopped, but soon heard it. There was a bit of furious whispering outside her door.**

 **"Lincoln, what's that?" Lily asked.**

 **Lincoln held up a finger as he got up. "Give me a moment, Lily."**

 **It was then that Lily noticed something on her brother's hand. "Lincoln, what's that on your hand?"**

 **"Huh?"**

 **Without waiting, Lily grabbed hold of her brother's hand and inspected the back of it. There, practically standing out against Lincoln's pale skin, was a strange looking red colored symbol. It reminded Lily of a shield, with the design making it look like it was divided into three sections.**

 **"This?" Lincoln asked, looking at the mark on his hand. "Oh, was kinda bored in class. Decided to doodle on my hand with marker."**

 **Lily frowned. Lincoln was hiding something. Her eyes may be starting to fail a bit, but she was confident that she saw them _glowing._**

"She wasn't kidding, was she?" Lincoln commented. "Those marks really did look like they were glowing."

"Magic must exist in this world." Lucy speculated. "Perhaps those markings are proof of a contract that you hold with a greater power."

Lola raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't those kind of deals usually end badly for the mortal that made the deal?"

Luna shivered. "Don't say that, Lola. You'll jinx it. We already got a sick Lily here, we don't need the image of Lincoln selling his soul for her health."

 **Lincoln quickly got out of his chair and stuck his head out the door, talking with whoever was making that commotion out there. Whatever he said, the noise quieted. After a few more moments of conversation that Lincoln had with someone, he came back inside and sat down on the chair.**

 **"Okay…" Lincoln paused for a moment as he collected his thoughts. Lily patiently waited, either for the explanation on what was happening out there or the real story behind Lincoln's new tattoo.**

 **"Well, I might have accidentally signed us up to host an exchange student from England."**

Everyone looked at each other with disbelief.

"How do you do that?" Lincoln asked rhetorically.

 **Lily stared at Lincoln incredulously. "How do you do that?"**

 **Lincoln helplessly shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I filled something out by accident and mom and dad might have accidentally approved it. Look, the point is that the guy arrived yesterday, and we couldn't exactly leave him in the lurch, you know? He doesn't have enough money to rent out an apartment or a hotel room for his whole stay here, and since I moved out of my closet, we figured he could live there…"**

 **Lily continued staring at him, still partially suspicious of his story. "How are you not in trouble?"**

 **Lincoln shrugged, looking absolutely relieved about that fact and just as confused. "Well, Henry did come from England, and you know how Dad and everyone else is around people from England."**

Everyone then turned to look at Luna.

"...What?! You really think I would overlook some suspicious looking bloke just because he has a british accent and prefers bangers and mash?! Give me some credit, mates!"

 **"True." Lily nodded, her limited life experiences still reminding her of how...obsessive her dad could be. "So his name is Henry?"**

 **"He wants to meet you. Insists on knowing everyone from his host family. You want to?"**

 **Lily looked down, unsure what to think of that fact. "Well...if he wants to. Though you can go ahead and tell him to cut things short if he doesn't find me interesting."**

 **"Nonsense!" Lincoln gave a brief chuckle of disbelief. "From what I seen, he finds everyone interesting, and not just because he believes he has to be nice to everyone. So cheer up. Besides, if I'm honest, he's not the one that I'm worried about."**

 **Lily looked at him weirdly. "Lincoln, give me a bit of credit. I was a baby when he-who-will-not-be-named first came to tutor you. I think I can control myself in front of 'Henry.'"**

 **"No offense, Lily." Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "But there is a reason why I can now say Hugh's name in front of every one of your sisters still in the house and not get squeals, and why I'm pretty sure that it will be the same thing when everyone else comes to visit for the holidays."**

Lincoln whistled. "I'm actually kind of curious now. Henry's that good looking that you guys can actually forget Hugh? I actually want to see this guy now."

The rest of the sisters gasped.

"AS IF WE CAN FORGET HUGH!" Lynn Jr said, slapping Lincoln on the arm, leaving a red hand mark on his skin.

"As if we can forget his glorious Gluteus Maximus…" Lisa sighed.

"BRING THIS 'HENRY' ALONG! I DOUBT HE CAN HOLD A CANDLE TO HUGH'S BUTT!" Lola shouted.

"...Didn't we forget that Lily is still sick in this reality?" Lucy asked.

"Oh…" Lincoln grimaced, summing up the feeling in the room.

 **"It's okay. I'm not going to go crazy for this 'Henry', okay?"**

 **Lincoln looked unconvinced.**

 **"I'm not!" Lily protested.**

 **Lincoln continued staring for a few moments, before he sighed. "Well, I really hope I'm not making a mistake here.**

 **He got up and walked over to the door. Opening it, he stuck his head outside and talked to who she could assume was 'Henry'. "Alright, come on in."**

 **Lincoln held the door open for 'Henry'. And someone walked in…**

"...Oh my." Lucy whispered, summing up the feelings the rest of her sisters were feeling.

"Wow." Lincoln said.

 **It was like a prince had just walked out of one of her story books. He looked young, probably in his late teens to his early twenties. His blonde hair was neatly combed with not a hair out of place and his grey eyes radiated warmth and intelligence behind a pair of glasses. He was dressed in clothes that looked to be such good tailoring that even her big sister Leni would ask for their card, with black and grey suit jacket and slacks, black boots with what looked to be gold buttons on them, black gloves on his hands, and a black and white handkerchief with a red jewel embedded in the middle.**

"He's...perfect." Lola whispered.

"Truly, a wondrous specimen." Lisa agreed, wiping her glasses just to make sure that she got to witness the man's full glory.

"Dahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…" Lynn Jr practically drooled.

Luna and Lucy were completely silent.

Lincoln looked at his sisters and groaned.

 **It took Lily a few moments to realize that she had been staring and both Lincoln and Henry looked a little concerned.**

 **"Pardon me, Miss. Lily." Lily tried her best to not squeal at the sound of Henry's voice. "My name is Henry Holmes. It is a pleasure to meet you."**

 **Lily nodded, holding out her hand to shake hands. "Y-Y-Y-Yeah, it's great to meet you too, Henry."**

 **Henry stared at the hand for a brief moment, before removing his glove and took her hand, holding it with the delicateness one would treat a precious jewel.**

 **"Please, Miss Lily. The pleasure is all mine."**

 **Lily restrained the grimace that was threatening to appear on her lips. 'Please don't…'**

 **Henry already brushed his lips on one of her knuckles, the same way that she had seen many a gentleman had done on TV. As soon as Henry let go of her hand, Lily brought her hand to her mouth. She looked down at the very knuckle that Henry's lips had touched, two thoughts practically dominating her brain.**

"OH NO, HE'S HOT!" Luna screamed, a blush dominating her face as she hid it in her hands.

"What's her problem?" Lincoln asked, only for everyone to glare at him.

"...What? Seriously, Luna, what's wrong?" The white haired boy asked her anglophile of a sister, only for Luna to turn her head.

"N-Nothing. I-I'm fine, Lincoln." Luna said, hoping her brother would buy the excuse.

"Luna, are you bleeding from your nose?" Lucy asked.

 **'I'm never washing this hand again. Also, HA! I actually got a kiss! TAKE THAT!'**

 **"Miss Lily?"**

 **The sound of Henry's voice snapped Lily out of her thoughts. "Yes, Henry?"**

 **"If my actions have bothered you, I would like to apologize for my vulgarity." He said, getting a chair and sitting down on it, his head slightly bowing.**

 **The eight year old girl shook her head. "No no no! I'm not bothered, not at all. No no no!"**

 **Lincoln then spoke up. "Yeah… So Lily, Henry will be staying with us for maybe… three weeks?"**

 **"Possibly a month." Henry replied idly, checking on the grocery bag that Lily just noticed he had. Realizing that the gentleman's attention was off her, Lily took the opportunity to fix her hair as best she could. Lincoln gave her a look and Lily stuck out her tongue before pulling it back as Henry looked up from her bag.**

 **"So Henry, what's in the bag?" Lily asked, feeling both pleased that Henry brought her a present and curiosity of what it could be.**

 **"Ah, I wished to bring you a gift to convey my hopes and prayers for the curing of your ailment. Since M-Lincoln told me that he already bought you flowers that convey that message, I had to think of another way to do so uniquely. Thankfully, the internet showed me a way to do so. Quite the marvelous invention the internet is, would you agree?"**

"That's a weird thing to say." Lincoln noted.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked. "Are you saying that Henry should not have brought a present?"

"What?" Lincoln exclaimed, looking at Lucy absolutely confused. "No, I mean that whole comment about the internet. That's a little weird to talk about, right?"

"Well…" Lisa adjusted her glasses. "The internet indeed is a wonderful invention, allowing us to store and share information across the world. Shame that the majority of people do not recognize this and simply use it for tomfoolery."

She sighed as she stared affectionately at the screen. "Unlike Henry…"

Lincoln groaned. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN!"

 **"Yeah, Henry, it sure is!" Lily chirped. "So what is it?"**

 **"Well, in Japan, there's a custom to peel the skin off apples and feed slices to the sick and infirm." Henry explained. Whatever else that Henry said became background noise, Lily mindlessly nodding whenever something important looked like it was being said, just focusing solely on Henry's face.**

"Huh, Japan actually has something like that?" Lincoln commented.

"You know, that's very sweet of Henry." Lynn Jr swooned.

"Yeah, that Lily is very lucky…" Lola lightly complained.

"Guys… Lily is sick here." Lincoln reminded the rest of his sisters, who froze.

"Oh...That's messed up." Luna said.

"Yeah…" Lola grimaced.

 **'Henry's going to feed me? Truly, I am thankful for today.'**

 **Henry looked a bit sheepish, gently looking away. "I...admit that I might have been a little excessive in my purchases, but I didn't want to run the risk of not getting your preference."**

 **Lily looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"**

 **"Well," Henry checked the bag again before bringing each apple. "I have Paula Red, Ginger Gold, Gala, McIntosh, Jonamac, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Empire, Jonathan, Cortland, Red Delicious, Jonagold, Fuji, Ida Red, Rome, and Braeburn."**

"...How many kinds of apple are there?" Lynn Jr asked rhetorically.

"I believe about 7500 varieties. 2500 grown here in the United States." Lisa recited.

"...Woah."

 **By the end, the end table that had her pot of flowers on it had apples on every last square inch on it.**

 **Lily blinked at the amount of apples that Henry bought. She didn't even know that there was that many kinds of apples. She looked up and saw how Henry looked a little embarrassed at his excess. She also saw the same expression on Lincoln as he looked away.**

 **Suddenly, something clicked for her.**

 **"Wait, you both couldn't decide on what to get?" Lily asked, a playful smirk appearing on her lips.**

 **Henry and Lincoln said nothing.**

"Wow, we're both dorks." Lincoln chuckled.

"Frankly, it makes him more irresistible." Lucy admitted, the rest of the sisters vocally agreeing.

 **"Eh, I figure whatever we didn't eat, I'll take back to everyone else. We could use some more fruit in our diet." Lincoln glibly replied.**

 **Lily looked at the two, before grinning. "Hey, Henry. You said that you read that the Japanese did this? Wasn't there an apple called a Fuji one? Let's eat that one!"**

 **The blond gentleman nodded. Looking through the various apples, he picked one up before removing his gloves and setting them to the side. It was then that Lily realized that something was missing.**

 **"Umm, did either of you bring a peeler or something, because if you're planning to just use your fingernails, I'm going to say no."**

 **"Do not worry, Miss Lily." Henry assured her, reaching inside his coat to pull out a rather large knife. "I have come prepared."**

 **Lincoln and Lily blinked.**

 **"Was that where you were keeping that?" Lincoln asked.**

 **Henry looked confused. "Yes?"**

 **"Next time, just… you know."**

 **Henry looked at his knife, before realizing something about the situation. "Oh, right. I'll think about that next time. Also, Miss Lily, I feel the need to tell you this but this will be my first attempt doing this, so if the finished product is unsatisfactory, I wish to apologize in advance."**

 **"Oh, Henry. I'm still happy either way you're doing this." Lily smiled, her eyelashes fluttering a little bit.**

 **"Oh, brother…" Lincoln shook his head.**

 **Henry ignored all of this, turning his full attention to the Fuji apple. Putting the blade to the skin, the gentleman began to cut the skin off. Like a sculptor chipping patiently away at a block of marble, Henry worked diligently until a perfectly peeled apple sat in his hands.**

 **"Wow…" Lily whispered, entranced by Henry's efforts.**

 **"Not bad for your first time." Lincoln commented.**

"...Okay, not bad? TRY PERFECT! I don't think I see a inch of stray skin on that apple anywhere! AND THAT'S WAS IN ONE CONTINUOUS PEEL!" Lincoln exclaimed.

"Clearly, Henry is a modest guy." Lola responded.

"COME ON!"

 **Henry cut a wedge for Lily and held it out for her. As the little girl took it and ate it, the gentleman held out a wedge for Lincoln too. Lincoln chewed on the slice, before realizing that Henry hadn't cut a wedge out for himself. A silent conversation played out between them before Henry cut out a piece for himself and ate it without any real appetite.**

 **"Henry, so what do you think of Royal Woods?" Lily asked, hoping to hear something positive.**

 **Henry sat back as he pondered his answer. "I will admit, there isn't as much people as my native London. But I will say that it does have its charm."**

"SERIOUSLY?! You guys saw how weird it is! I mean, this me 'accidentally' signs up for a foreign exchange program, has a tattoo on his hand that glows, and this Henry talks about the INTERNET like an actual thing of wonder and can peel an apple perfectly despite it being 'his first time! DO ANY OF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?!" Lincoln ranted, his stare daring them to say something.

"...Not really." Lynn Jr admitted.

"It is somewhat odd, but that doesn't really mean anything." Lisa said, getting vocal approval from the rest of the sisters.

Lincoln loudly groaned before getting up and tying on the control panel.

"Lincoln, what are you doing?!" Lisa exclaimed.

"There's something fishy in this reality, and it's between me and Henry, and we're not getting to the bottom of it if we're sitting here all day!" Lincoln said before fast forwarding the stream, getting complaints from the rest of his sisters.

The scene shifted to another place…

 **"Come on, Lincoln!" Rita Loud, looking a little older, called at the stairs. "The Love Boat is coming on."**

 **As everyone else settled into the living room, Lynn Loud Sr came into the room, looking worriedly at the newspaper.**

 **"Hey, Lana. You found anything wrong with the house?"**

 **Lana looked at her dad quizzically. "Not anything that couldn't be fixed up with a little duct tape. Why?"**

 **Lynn Sr sighed before showing the headline on the newspaper.**

 **'LOCAL FAMILY COMATOSE! Sweetwater Family Comatose from Gas Leaks!'**

 **"S-Sweetwater?! How's Lindsey?!" Lola shouted, concern for her rival's well-being.**

 **Lynn Sr took a second look at the newspaper, before sadly shaking his head. Lola blinked before sitting back down. Lana immediately moved next to her twin and patted her on the back, completely silent.**

"Lindsey…" Lola gasped in horror. Sure, they had a fierce rivalry, but she wouldn't wish that kind of fate on her…

Meanwhile, everyone else turned to face Lisa, who shook her head.

"Gas leaks don't do that...Unless they were practically huffing in the fumes, and I doubt that Lola would take her rivalry with an idiot seriously…"

"Okay, dudes. Now I'm a little freaked. This is like Men in Black stuff…" Luna admitted.

 **"Mom, Dad! Me and Henry are going to sleep over at Clyde's house!" Lincoln called out as he and Henry came down the stairs, holding a backpack in hand. Everyone that was in the living room looked up, a little surprised.**

 **"Lincoln, why? It's a school night!" Rita said as she got up from the couch and came over, staring Lincoln straight in the eye.**

 **Suddenly, Lincoln did...something and stared into his mother's eyes, and Rita stood still, her stare now blank.**

"...What did I just do?" Lincoln asked as he watched that happen.

 **"Honey?" Lynn Sr asked, before seemingly falling silent as his wife once he met Lincoln's eyes.**

 **"L-Lincoln, what's going on?" Lisa said as she and the twins started backing away nervously.**

 **"Don't worry…" Lincoln said as he fixed his stare on them. "Just relax."**

 **Just like their parents, Lisa, Lola, and Lana blankly stared. There was still one sister that was missing, and Lincoln was sure she had seen everything. But he wasn't worried.**

 **"LET ME GO!"**

 **As sneaky as Lucy could be, she was no match for Henry's senses.**

"Holy…" Luna exclaimed as everyone else could only watch in muted horror.

 **"Miss Lucy, please try to relax." Henry said in the most gentle tone he could muster as he manhandled Lucy back into the living room. Lincoln walked up to her, frowning deeply as he saw Lucy lean back from him, the only thing she could do in Henry's ironclad grip.**

 **"L-Lincoln, what do you do to them? What's going on?"**

 **"Don't worry, Lucy." Lincoln said as he brushed Lucy's bangs away, revealing her eyes. One moment later, and Lucy's eyes were just as blank as everyone else's.**

 **Henry set Lucy down with the rest of her family. All of them faced Lincoln. Lincoln thought for a moment before speaking again.**

 **"Me and Henry are in our rooms during the night, and we do not like being disturbed. If you see us coming into the house during the morning, then we went for a walk in the morning. Understand?"**

"Lincoln, did you just hypnotize us?" Luna asked.

"I think…" Lincoln weakly responded, trying to understand what just happened.

"No way...You didn't have a watch swinging back and forth with us." Lynn Jr interjected.

"Where did you even learn that?" Lisa shook her head. "It's not like you could have picked it up from a book or something…"

 **With wordless nods, the rest of the family went back to what they were doing. As Lincoln exited the door, he turned to Henry. "Henry, can you check to make sure?"**

 **Henry nodded as Lincoln closed the door behind him and started walking down the sidewalk. A few moments passed before Henry reappeared beside Lincoln as if he had been filled back into the world by some gold sparkles.**

 **"The hypothesis is a success, Master."**

Everyone blinked.

Lynn Jr spoke up. "Okay, better question. Who, or what, is Henry?"

"A ghost." Lucy spoke with conviction. "A ghost from Britain."

"Wait, can ghosts even travel that far from their place of origin?" Lincoln asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Considering this world and its rules, I wouldn't be surprised."

 **Lincoln nodded as the two continued walking down the sidewalk.**

 **"Hey, Henry?" Lincoln asked as the two walked near an abandoned gas station. The two carelessly stepped on a sign that proclaimed that the building was once Flip's Food and Fuel.**

 **"Yes, Master?" Henry said as he disappeared, only to reappear behind the door. The gentleman removed the lock, letting Lincoln through.**

 **"Why did you choose Holmes as a last name?" Lincoln questioned as they entered what used to be Flip's office, the furniture abandoned and dusty. The white haired teen didn't mind as he put his backpack on it.**

 **"Well," Henry looked to be in thought, remembered fonder days. "Since you insisted that I have an alias, I had to think about that. I suppose I wanted to honor my friend."**

 **"...Wait." Lincoln looked up from his set up laptop. "Are you saying you knew Sherlock Holmes?"**

"He knew Sherlock Holmes?" Lincoln exclaimed.

"You mean like the Detective?" Lynn Jr asked.

"It appears the ghost theory you have might be correct, Lucy." Lisa congratulated the goth.

"Wait, isn't he fake?" Lola asked.

"Well, we have ghosts in this world, so maybe Sherlock Holmes existed there…" Luna explained.

 **Henry nodded. "He was as brilliant as the legends describe. It was a pleasure to see him work, even if I was exposed to the crimes perpetrated by that man…"**

 **"You mean James Mor-"**

 **"Do not say his name, master." Henry shushed Lincoln. "...Call it habit, but Sherlock had went as far as requesting Doyle to minimize that man's presence in the stories, lest he gain more influence."**

 **"Huh." Lincoln said idly as he turned back to the booting laptop. "The more you know."**

 **Silence reigned over the room before Henry spoke up.**

 **"You are nervous, aren't you, master?"**

 **Lincoln leaned back in the chair as he rubbed his face. "I guess… I'm just realizing that this is real. That magic is real, and I'm in a seven way battle royal to get a wish granting magic artifact to use on my little sister. I mean, I could practically die at any minute. I could get sniped by Archer, run over by Rider, cut up by Saber, skewered by Lancer, get turned by a newt by Caster. Heck, Assassin could be standing right behind me right now."**

"...So that's your solution." Lisa said quietly as everyone absorbed that information. "Sure, let me enter into a DEATH TOURNAMENT FOR A MAGIC WISH!"

"Wait, why does Lincoln even need to die?" Lynn Jr pointed out.

"The contract…" Lucy realized. "It must be the contract between Lincoln and Henry that keeps Henry materialized in the real world. If Lincoln dies…"

The implication went unsaid.

"...This just got heavier." Luna commented.

"By the way," Lola remembered something. "Why did Lincoln call them by those names? I mean, Saber, Archer? What's up with that?"

"Perhaps their designations for this ritual." Lucy guess.

Lynn Jr looked at Lucy with a confused look. "How does this count as a ritual?"

Lucy's answer was swift. "The artifact is here. The ritual here is to determine who is the worthiest to claim said wish."

 **Henry grimaced. "Please don't joke like that, Master."**

 **"Sorry...Sorry." Lincoln apologized as he rubbed his face one more time. "Nerves are getting to me. Okay, I'm ready. You got the places that we should check out?"**

 **"Yes, Master." Henry bowed.**

 **Lincoln nodded. "Alright, go get them, Berserker."**

"Berserker?" Lola asked.

"An ancient Norse warrior that fought in a wild frenzy, usually without any armor." Lisa recited.

Lynn Jr looked closely at Henry. "Weird, he doesn't look like he's from Norway, or look like he's going to rage out any time soon."

 **As Berserker started to leave, he paused for a moment. "Master, a word before I go?"**

 **Lincoln remained silent before slightly inclining his head.**

 **"Master, do remember that you have a responsibility to your family to return to them not only physically safe, but as the man that they know you as. I know that this war will demand much of you, but you cannot change who you are. Remember why you fight and hold onto that reason as much as you can. I cannot… I will not play a part in another downfall."**

 **"...Duly noted, Berserker."**

"...That frankly chills me to the core." Lucy admitted.

 **With that, Berserker vanished from sight. Lincoln leaned back in his chair.**

 **"So that what the priest meant when he said I would summon the most compatible servant I could."**

"Wait, the church is in on this, too?" Luna reacted.

"What did I mean by 'most compatible?" Lincoln asked.

 **An invisible and intangible Berserker rushed through the streets, going faster than any car that was still on the road. Scenery flashed by him, a blur that was still recognizable to him. His senses were concentrated all around as he strained them to listen for signs of battle.**

"...How fast is he moving? That isn't human!" Luna gasped, the rest of the group agreeing.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, though no one saw the motion. "Do you think that a spirit is beholden to the limitations of mortals?"

 **Finally, around an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Royal Woods, Berserker heard the sounds of battle. Sneaking over, he peered inside, making sure to hide himself in case any other servants happened to be watching. There, he saw it, and his grip on the doorway would have crumpled it up a little.**

 **Two Servants, their presence marking them for the glorious Heroic Spirits they were, were engaged in pitched battle. One was a handsome dark haired man that wielded a red long spear and a golden short spear simultaneously. The spears became blurs in his hands, red and yellow colored death as the man thrust and slashed at his opponent.**

"...Who's the black haired hunk?" Lola asked.

The rest of the sisters couldn't respond.

"Oh brother…" Lincoln trailed off.

 **His opponent was a pink haired woman dressed in a red coat and a tricorn hat that looked like British military garb from the 18th century with a large scar on her face that admittedly did little to mar her beauty. Berserker also managed to ignore how the woman's coat had exposed an almost vulgar amount of her… bountiful chest.**

"LINCOLN!"

"GAH!"

 **She continuously fired her two guns, and kicked an empty wooden crate at the man who was clearly Lancer. Lancer did not lose momentum, charging at the woman who was clear the Archer of the war while spinning his red spear, deflecting the bullets away, before swatting the crate away with his yellow spear. Archer dodged at the last second, the man embedding the red spear into the ground, only to grit her teeth as the man lashed out with the yellow spear, slashing her hand and forcing her to drop one of her flintlock pistols.**

 **All that had taken place in the blink of an eye.**

"...Wait, what just happened? I blinked and the woman got cut by the guy's yellow spear!" Lincoln exclaimed.

"Hang on, I'm going to try to slow the last scene down." Lisa said as she typed a command on the panel.

As the kids watched the last scene slow-moed down, their jaws dropped.

"How fast are they going if even in slow-mo, they look like they're moving normally?!" Lynn asked in disbelief.

 **Berserker forced himself to swallow his envy. He was a servant, and his master needed information, and he was communicating with him right now.**

 **'Berserker, do you see anything?'**

 **Berserker absentmindedly nodded. 'Yes, I found two servants fighting each other at an abandoned warehouse at the outskirts of town.'**

 **'Okay, great, don't need to worry about collateral. Okay, what about the servants fighting? Anything stand out about them?'**

 **Henry watched as Archer tried fending off Lancer with one flintlock pistol, carefully looking for anything interesting. Finally, Lancer turned his face to Berserker, allowing the blond gentleman to get a good look at the man's face and what looked to be inscriptions. Berserker instantly zeroed in on one detail.**

 **'Master, Lancer is a dark haired man who wields two spears and has a beauty spot on his face. He looks like he might be Irish.'**

 **'...The Celtic mythology has a lot of famous spearmen, right?'**

 **'I believe so, master.'**

Everyone looked at Luna.

"What?"

 **'Right, hang on… Famous celtic spearmen with two spears and a beauty spot. Searching… Got something. We might be dealing with Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, did I pronounce that right?'**

 **'As much as you could have, Master. And Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, Diarmuid of the Love Spot, son of Donn, foster son of Aengus Og, first warrior of the Knights of Fianna.'**

"Why is he called 'Diarmuid of the Love Spot?' I mean, it's a nice name, but why?" Lola asked, briefly coming out of her state of love-sickness.

Lincoln spotted Lori's phone, sitting there. He looked to the sides, before picking it up, unlocking it, and searching for information on the Spearman.

"According to Wikipedia, Diarmuid had an enchanted beauty spot on his face that compelled women to love him. It even landed him in his most famous tale, when his Lord's latest bride, Grainne, magically compelled him to run away with her."

The sisters looked at each other.

"...You don't think that magic beauty spot works through a screen and dimensions, right?" Lola worriedly asked.

Everyone paused for a moment to ponder that.

"You got to admit, dudes." Luna spoke up. "Even without the magic mole, Diarmuid is fine…"

"...Frankly, while I am caught off guard by Diarmuid, I still think Henry is the finer man." Lisa confessed.

"Okay, all of you can zip it." Lincoln said with the most authority he could muster in his voice. "You guys get crazy enough already with… 'He-who-will-not-be-named', we don't need a war over who's newest crush is the hottest."

"LINCOLN, WHO DO YOU THINK IS BETTER?!" Everyone decided to ask him.

"ZIP IT!"

"You know, if one of the other spirits is a hero from mythology, then what is Henry from?" Lucy asked.

Everyone thought about it for a bit.

"Well, he knew the real Sherlock, so he must have come from London around the ending of the 19th century." Lincoln pointed out, with everyone else agreeing.

"Wait," Lynn Jr had a thought. "If we're talking about heroes from mythology, doesn't that mean someone like Hercules can be summoned?"

Everyone immediately imagined a greek giant with bulging muscles picking Lincoln up and driving him into the ground like a nail face first.

"Thank you for that image, Lynn…" Lincoln sarcastically said.

 **'...We can't let him near any of my sisters.'**

 **'Noted. I should also mention that Archer had been injured by one of Lancer's spears, and it seems that her injury seems to be hampering her performance.'**

 **'Gae Buidhe, Yellow Rose of Mortality, can inflict wounds that cannot be healed naturally or with magecraft. That sounds nasty, and something that we definitely don't want anywhere near _him_.'**

Everyone shivered.

"That's really nasty." Luna grimaced.

Lincoln shivered. "And if he gets a chance, he'll try to use it on me!"

 **Berserker nodded, before noticing Archer muttering to herself.**

 **"ALRIGHT!" Archer said in the most boisterous voice that she could. "LET'S GET SERIOUS THEN, LANCER!"**

 **With that, she aimed her single flintlock at Diarmuid, only for four other things to start manifesting behind her. Archer smirked as her flintlock pistol was joined by four cannons floating in the air. And they were all pointed at Diarmuid.**

 **"Well, whatever retorts about this universe I've had, have now truly died." Lisa sighed. "We are truly dealing with magic."**

 **"Don't die too quickly now." Archer taunted.**

 **"Of course." Diarmuid replied, settling into a runner's stance. "I cannot die here. I haven't helped my master achieve his goal yet."**

 **Archer cocked an eyebrow before shrugging. "A loyal dog, aren't you? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now… FIRE!"**

 **Like the shot of a starter's pistol, Diarmuid sprung forward, hoping to skewer Archer before she could fire a shot. His vision was suddenly filled with the cannonball about to connect with his face. With inhuman reaction and grace, Diarmuid dodged the first one then sidestepped the second. The Irish Spearman stopped his charge and ran to the side using the nearby crates as cover, Archer following Diarmuid's movement and bombarding him with gunfire and cannonfire.**

 **Berserker managed to get out of the way before a cannonball smashed through the section of wall he was hiding behind.**

Lincoln rubbed his chin. "Okay, even if this warehouse is way out of the town, shouldn't there be someone near the area who's concerned about all the gunfire?"

Lucy hmm'ed. "I'm sure that people are already dealing with it."

Lola looked at the goth quizzically. "Really, who?"

"The same people that would claim that 'Gas Leaks' can cause someone to become comatose."

While Lola paled, Luna stared at her. "Wait, are you having a conspiracy theory about this world, Lucy?"

Lucy shrugged. "How much do we really know about this world?"

 **'Alright, Berserker, get out now. We got plenty of info.'**

 **Berserker mentally confirmed that order and was about to move out. Suddenly, a cannonball flew towards a nearby pile of crates. A blonde haired man dove out of the pile, scants seconds before the cannonball reduced the pile to splinters.**

 **The man picked himself off the ground, snarling at the warehouse as he wiped the dust off his finely made clothes. As the man did so, Berserker noticed something on his hand. Sneaking a bit closer and focusing on it, Berserker saw it.**

 **Three red marks on the man's right hand. Command seals that screamed out that the man was a Master.**

"Wait, they call them 'Command seals?' That sounds kind of ominous." Lincoln reacted.

"Must be something built in the contract." Lucy speculated. "In case the spirit contracted doesn't wish to follow the master's wishes."

"Dude, the way it's designed, it looks like there's three sections. Is that basically saying they only have three?" Luna scratched her head.

Lincoln shook his head. "Why does it feel like everything in this reality wants to try to kill me?"

 **"Curse you, Lancer!" The man snarled as he did his best to sneak to another area. "Keep Archer's attacks away from me!"**

 **'Master! Lancer's Master is here!'**

 **'...Really?'**

 **'Yes, he has the command seals on his hand, and he had cursed Lancer's name.'**

 **'...I see.'**

 **'Master, what do you wish to do?'**

 **'...Take him down, Berserker.'**

"...Lincoln, that's cold." Lisa admitted.

 **'Yes, Master.'**

 **Berserker followed the man, until the two stopped at another pile of crates. As the man hid behind the pile, Berserker climbed up and peered down at the enemy master. Looking back at the warehouse, Berserker mentally calculated how long it would take for Lancer to come after him when he killed his master.**

 **Berserker frowned when his calculations didn't come up the way he liked. With the speed that Lancer demonstrated in his fight with Archer, he could easily break away and be on top of him immediately. Given Lancer's clear experience in battle, it would be long before he would be grievously wounded or even slain. And while he would do Archer and her master a favor by killing Lancer's master, it was doubtful that they would come to his aid.**

 **Which all meant that he would have to rely on… 'him' for the moment.**

 **Berserker reached inside his vest and pulled out a vial with a liquid inside. He took a moment to observe the elixir that rested inside. Here, in his hands, was his downfall and his claim to Heroic Spirit status.**

Lincoln's eyes widened. If Diarmuid's spears were part of his legend, then there was only one British legend that came around the time of Sherlock Holmes that had a elixir as his most famous weapon…

"Hold on," Lisa said as she got up and typed a few things on the control panel. "He has something on his mind. Let me…"

 **A image of Lily and his master popped up in his head, both healthy and happy with the rest of their family.**

 **That image squashed his hesitation as he opened the vial.**

 **'For the sake of their smiles, I will become that I despise.'**

 **NOBLE PHANTASM ACTIVATE - DANGEROUS GAME**

 **With that, Berserker drank the elixir. Immediately, something started happening to Berserker as he hunched over.**

 **Berserker threw off his shirt and coat, revealing black fur was rapidly growing there. His fingernails grew sharp and deadly. His teeth became sharper, like a horrid beast of nightmare.**

 **His eyes, once grey pupils, opened themselves to reveal the slit of a beast.**

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"Holy sh-" Luna stopped herself in time.

 **Berserker roared, the transformation complete as he materialized above Lancer's master. Lancer's master gasped as the monster revealed itself. Berserker gave one look, before leaping at the man, claws and fangs directed towards him.**

 **Lancer's master didn't have the chance to scream.**

Everyone turned and looked away from the carnage.

 **Just as Diarmuid drew back Gae Buidhe for another strike at Archer, he shuddered, throwing off his balance for a split second. That was enough for Archer, as she booted Diarmuid in the chest, pushing him back and making him drop Gae Buidhe. Archer stomped on the spear as hard as she could, smirking as the legendary spear splintered under her foot.**

 **She tested her hand and smirked a bit harder as her hand flexed more easily. "Alright, now we have a fight."**

 **"MASTER!"**

 **Diarmuid completely ignored Archer and sprinted out of the building, leaving the woman blinking. She huffed, frowning deeply as she put her hand on her hip. "Sheesh, just when it was starting to get interesting…"**

 **Suddenly, her master's voice came through to her.**

 **'Rider, return back.'**

 **"Yeah, yeah." With that, the newly identified Rider vanished into golden motes.**

"Oh no…" Lola whispered in horror.

"What, so Archer is Rider? How is that bad? She uses guns, isn't that good enough information?" Lynn Jr asked.

"That's not all she can do!" Lola groaned, before changing her voice to match the woman's. "Oh, you think all I can do is shoot these guns? Well, how about I SUMMON MY ENTIRE SHIP?!"

 **Outside the warehouse, Diarmuid came outside to a horrid sight. A large black figure obscured the body of Diarmuid's master, but all the red liquid around assured anyone who was watching that the man was dead. The figure noticed Diarmuid standing behind him.**

 **The figure turned around, revealing himself to look like a stereotypical werewolf, standing upright on two hind legs as his maw, matted with blood, emitted a low growl. The figure also wore a part of familiar pants. Diarmuid took this all in, before looking at his hand.**

"So...Henry's a werewolf?" Lisa blinked.

Lucy sighed. "I would have preferred vampire."

 **There, the outer edges of his hands were slowly fading away. Making a fist, Diarmuid faced Berserker. With a flourish, Gae Dearg was in his hands, the Lancer shifting into a combat stance.**

 **"Forgive me, master. I have failed you." He sadly intoned, before looking up at Berserker with determination. "But allow me to bring you this MONSTER'S HEAD!"**

 **Berserker roared a challenge, the sound echoing in Lincoln's head as he waited for the result of the fight.**

 **'...Go get them, Hyde.'**

"...Wait, Hyde? As in Mr. Hyde? As in the 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" Luna asked.

Lynn Jr. thought for a moment before she remembered that name. "Wait, you mean that story where this good scientist guy drinks a potion and becomes evil guy? That's Henry?"

Lynn Jr thought about it some more. "Wait, how is he a hero?"

Lisa rubbed her chin. "If I remember the novella correctly, the only real heroic thing I remember Jekyll doing is promising that he will take care of Hyde permanently. Though I doubt that's enough to make him a hero."

"GUYS! Lincoln's not here!" Lola shouted, looking around.

Everyone realized that Lincoln at one point had left the room. Everyone immediately exited, with Lucy going over to Lincoln's room. She came to a stop and knocked on it.

"Lincoln?"

"..."

"Can I come in?"

Lincoln silently opened the door and sat back on his bed, simply staring at the carpet. The rest of the sisters saw this and immediately ran over. Lucy held up a hand to stop them. The rest of the sisters looked upset, but backed off. Lucy closed the door then sat next to him.

"Are you alright?"

Lincoln shrugged.

"Alright as I can be, knowing that I have the greatest compatibility with a guy that made a serum that turns him into a murderer. I mean, I know I'm no angel, and I can be a handful, but…" Lincoln sighed.

"You're right. You're no saint, but you are a good person." Lucy said as she hugged Lincoln. "There are times that you are careless, times you're selfish, but there are also times when you show that you care about people, and where you would do your best… Lincoln, did you see why Jekyll wanted to fight for Lily?"

Lincoln still stared at the carpet, yet Lucy somehow knew that he was listening.

"He wanted Lily to get well. He was willing to use his dark power to do good. Frankly, I think both of them and you can be misguided at times. However, no one said that misguided is evil, do you understand me?"

Lincoln sighed one last time, before hugging Lucy back.

"Yeah."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Boy, no wonder the other alternate universe compilation fics try not to make a solid continuity, it gets hard to keep everything straight. On the other hand, it would feel weird if those experiences don't stay with them and the people don't act like they are affected by it.

If you're wondering where I got this setting, it is the Fate franchise. Just type in the names of majority of mythological and historical figure, and the Fate series probably made them into a cute girl or something.

Also, in case you guys want more information on the Servants used in this chapter, I went ahead and got some information from the wiki. Also keep in mind that each power level is times ten base humans. So E is 10 while A is 50.

There's also an EX rank, but that is to show that the rating cannot be numerically quantified.

* * *

 **Servant:** Berserker

 **True Name:** Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde

 **Alignment:** Lawful Good (Jekyll) / Chaotic Evil (Hyde)

 **Other Qualified Classes:** Assassin

 **Parameters**

Strength: C (Jekyll) / B+ (Hyde)

Endurance: C (Jekyll) / B+ (Hyde)

Agility: C (Jekyll) / B+ (Hyde)

Mana: E (Jekyll) / D+ (Hyde)

Luck: E (Jekyll) / D+ (Hyde)

Noble Phantasm: C

 **Class Skills**

Mad Enhancement: N/A (Jekyll) / B (Hyde) - raises basic parameters and strengthens one's physical abilities in exchange of hindering mental capacities and/or in exchange for their sense of reason.

Because of the nature of Jekyll's legend, only Hyde is affected by Mad Enhancement.

 **Personal Skills**

Powerless Shell: A (Jekyll) \- Makes the user difficult to perceive as a Servant, declining one's parameters and suppresses one's Skills.

While his mind and body are in the form of Jekyll, it suppresses his Personal Skills, reduces all parameters, and his presence is no longer recognizable or perceivable as a Servant. Conversely, the dangerousness of Jekyll that has his Personal Skills invoked is on the level of a Magical Beast and his parameters explosively skyrocket as if a recoil.

This skill is comparable to the Assassin's class skill Presence Concealment.

Monstrous Strength: B (Hyde) \- temporarily grants a rank-up to one's _Strength_ parameter for a time limit determined by the ranking of this Skill _._ This Skill is borne from the holder's nature as a monster.

This skill can only be manifested with Hyde.

Self-Modification: A (Hyde) \- the aptitude to remold one's own body or merge one's own flesh with body parts of others. The higher the ranking in this Skill, the further away one is from being a proper hero.

The cumulative effects of this and the Mad Enhancement skill will transform Hyde into a beast that hardly resembles a human. It would also grant a powerful regenerative ability that could allow Hyde to endure the combined might of four servants.

This skill can only be manifested with Hyde.

Voice of Panic: A (Hyde) \- a mental attack that weakens the hearts of those who hears it.

This skill can only be manifested with Hyde.

 **Noble Phantasms**

Dangerous Game - Anti Unit - C+ \- An elixir (miracle drug) that allows for the transformation of Jekyll into Hyde, the second personality inside the former's body that claimed so many victims in his life. It can also be used to revert the transformation, transforming Hyde back into Jekyll. The elixir was refined through pharmacy and alchemy as well as from an accidental result similar to degradation done over several years. It is an elixir that is impossible to reproduce with modern science, technology and magic.

Under the Berserker class, this Noble Phantasm greatly increases his stamina, as well as his strength and speed. He gains several skills that make him suitable for close quarters combat, most noticeably, a skill that he calls " _Restructuring_ ", which grants him a highly potent recovery ability, making him confident in that he can recover from being hit by even a Noble Phantasm.

* * *

 **Servant:** Lancer

 **True Name:** Diarmuid ua Duibhne, Diarmuid of the Love Spot

 **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral

 **Other Qualified Classes:** Saber, Rider

 **Parameters**

Strength: B

Endurance: C

Agility: A+

Mana: D

Luck: E

Noble Phantasm: B

 **Class Skills**

Magic Resistance: B \- Grants protection against Magical effects, simply canceling the spells upon contact.

With Lancer's level, he can cancel spells that have three chants or below. Even if targeted by _High-Thaumaturgy_ and _Greater Rituals_ , it is difficult for them to be affected.

 **Personal Skills**

Eye of the Mind (True) \- B - A heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. A danger-avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change the current situation. This is not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience. A weapon wielded by none other than a mortal, gained through tenacious training. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

Love Spot - C \- A spell (curse) inherent of one's facial features which is cast as soon as the target looks at the user's face; a Mystic Face. Enchants those of the user's opposite sex with magical energy.

It is because of this curse that he is known as ' _Diarmuid of the Love Spot_ '. A woman who confronts Diarmuid gains a strong love affection for him.

 **Noble Phantasms**

Gae Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism - Anti Unit - B \- A demonic scarlet spear two meter long that renders magical enhancements and projections useless by severing all ties with magical energy. For example, armor that is materialized with magic will be pierced through without resistance, and weaponry that had been enchanted will have its enchantments eroded away. The spear is not suitable for defensive usage because its effects only last while the tip of Gáe Dearg is in contact with the object, and it allows the object to function as normal after the spear is lifted away.

Unlike most other Noble Phantasms, the abilities of the spear are passive in nature. It does not require its name to be called upon in order to be utilized, allowing it to instantly affect whatever it strikes.

Gae Buidhe: Golden Rose of Mortality - Anti Unit - B \- A cursed spear 1.4 meters long that inflicts wounds that cannot be healed naturally or with magecraft. The spear lowers the opponent's maximum health limit, thus limiting healing and regeneration abilities to the point where the opponent received the injury. In a way, the body believes that the body is in 100% condition when it isn't. The effect cannot be normally dispelled, and canceling the curse requires the destruction of the spear or the death of its owner.

Unlike most other Noble Phantasms, the abilities of the spear are passive in nature. It does not require its name to be called upon in order to be utilized, allowing it to instantly affect whatever it strikes.

* * *

 **Servant: **Rider

 **True Name:** Francis Drake

 **Alignment:** Chaotic Evil

 **Parameters:**

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: B

Mana: E

Luck: EX

Noble Phantasm: A+

 **Class Skills**

Magic Resistance: D \- Grants protection against Magical effects, simply canceling the spells upon contact.

Cancels _Single-Action_ spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.

Riding: B \- Denotes the ability to ride mounts and vehicles.

If limited to ships, the riding skill will improve by one rank for Drake.

 **Personal Skills**

Voyager of the Storm - A+ \- The talent to sail vessels recognized as ships. Because the ability as a group leader is also necessary, this unique Skill also has the effects of both _Charisma_ and _Military Tactics_.

Pioneer of the Stars - EX \- An unique Skill given to heroes that became turning points in human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered " _impossible_ " turn into " _events that can be realized_ ".

Francis Drake was the first to captain a expedition around the world and survive the journey. Then she defeated and broke the power of the Spanish Armada, the military strength that was the pride of 'the Kingdom on which the sun will never set on'. Truly, recognition worthy of the 'one who conquered the seas.'

 **Noble Phantasm**

Golden Wild Hunt: The Night of the Golden Hind and the Storm - Anti Army - A+ \- An expanding ghost fleet of countless ships lead by her command during her lifetime. It is a symbol of her everyday life and it contains attributes of the anecdotes of the fire ships that defeated the Spanish Armada and the anecdotes of the " _Night of the Storm_ " that is transmitted throughout Europe.

With the lead ship and her other Noble Phantasm, Golden Hind, acting as the core, it expands countless small crafts and exterminates the enemy with overwhelming firepower. Although it is an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm that has a high rank, it possesses an unusual special characteristic where its power fluctuates according to the amount of wealth Drake possesses at the time she is using this Noble Phantasm.


	10. Southern Star Waterfowl Fist

"Alright, guys. Make yourselves at home." Lincoln told Clyde, Rusty, Liam and Zach as they came inside. The five had a big group project to do and they had all agreed to meet at Lincoln's house to discuss their ideas about what to do. "Right now, nearly everyone is out so we got the whole house to ourselves."

As the five dropped their backpacks to the ground, Rusty suddenly felt the urge to go.

"Hey, Lincoln." Rusty said as he started to hop from one foot to the other. "Where's the restroom here? I really need to go."

Lincoln popped his head from the kitchen. "It's upstairs, opposite my room. Also, could you grab some papers from my room, too?"

Rusty saluted. "Sure thing, buddy."

Climbing up the stairs, he looked between the two ends of the hallway before making his way into the bathroom. After doing his business, Rusty walked over to Lincoln's room. But first, he passed by Lisa and Lily's room that happened to be slightly ajar.

As he passed by it, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He looked at the door before looking at Lincoln's room and the stairs. Then he bit his lip as he carefully crept forward, slowly opening the door. What Lincoln's sisters didn't know wouldn't hurt anyone.

He opened the door wider. His eyes widened.

"DUDE, WHAT'S WITH THIS MACHINE?"

"What are you talking about?" Liam said as he and the others ran upstairs. Lincoln looked up from the sandwiches he was making as he quickly realized what Rusty was talking about. Setting down the bread and the knives, he climbed the stairs and walked into Lisa and Lily's room to see his friends looking at the machine in awe.

"Lincoln, what is this thing?" Zach asked.

"Well…" Lincoln prepared for the barrage of questions. "Lisa built it. It's a machine to view alternate realities."

"...WHAT?!" Lincoln leaned back as his friends screamed.

"YOU MEAN ACTUAL ALTERNATE REALITIES?!" Zach stared at the machine absolutely bug eyed.

"WHAT DID YOU SEE?" Rusty asked, absolutely buzzing. "COME ON, MAN! DON'T LEAVE US HANGING!"

Liam looked at the machine in awe and a bit of fear. "Pretty sure even my folks would call that machine sorcery."

"IS THERE A REALITY WHERE ME AND LORI GET TOGETHER?!"

Everyone stopped and looked at Clyde, all raising their eyebrows. Clyde shrugged.

"Hey, is it wrong to be curious?"

Lincoln thought to himself before making a decision.

"You guys want to see it work? I think we got some time before we actually need to work on the project."

All four of them looked at Lincoln with excitement yet with a bit of apprehension.

"You sure about that? I mean, it would be cool to see it in action, but do you know how to work it?" Zach asked.

Lincoln merely walked over and typed a few things on the console. The machine roared to life, the screen turning onto a blank screen, ready to show wonders. "Yeah, I fiddled around with it. Haven't blown it up yet."

"AW, SWEET!" Rusty said as he sat down. "This is going to be awesome."

As the others sat down, Clyde was whispering to himself with his fingers crossed. Lincoln distinctly ignored how Clyde's lips constantly formed 'Lori.' "How about we try a new universe?"

With that, Lincoln tapped a few buttons, the screen shifting to a new universe.

 **The sun slowly rose over a ruined forest.**

 **The trees were stripped of their leaves, utterly blackened and looking more like pillars of charcoal that had been erected. The few bits of vegetation that had been growing on the ground looked shriveled and ugly. The ground itself seemed dry, as if nothing can grow from it.**

 **And above all that, there was the silence. No chirping of the birds, no chattering of the squirrels. Simply the whispers of the wind, and even that sounded almost harsh.**

Lincoln and the others stared at the screen.

"Yelp, there goes the happy feelings." Rusty said, looking a little sad.

"What do you think happened?" Liam asked.

Zach adjusted his glasses. "Well, judging from the condition of the plants, I think the most similar thing are pictures from Chernobyl, only these look way worse."

Clyde looked at Zach utterly shocked. "Chernobyl, you mean that nuclear reactor that melted down? Then to make something like this…"

Lincoln connected the dots. "We're looking at a world where a nuclear war happened."

All five of the kids stared at the screen in horror.

"Dude, this got heavy." Rusty remarked with the others slowly nodding their heads.

 **The people of the town had long gotten used to that, as they slowly got up and greeted the coming day. Some of the people got dressed and went over to the fields, tending to the crops they had managed to grow. Some of them tended to the cows and chickens that provided milk and eggs. And others tended to the homes that had been made from the wreckage or the husks of the houses and buildings that had managed to survive.**

 **Life in these days was harsh, but it was a life that the village had managed to carve out for themselves.**

"Okay, that's better." Rusty sighed in relief.

Liam couldn't help smiling. "Good to see that humanity haven't forgotten their roots."

Lincoln groaned. "Pretty sure Luan would made that into a joke."

 **In one house that stood despite looking old and covered with vines, the day was just starting.**

" **Alright, I'm off to the fields! Love you all!" A heavily tanned Lynn Loud Sr dressed in a faded shirt and jeans called out as he grabbed his farming equipment.**

" **See you later, honey!" Rita Loud said with Lola and Lana parroting their mother, their clothes just as drab and faded as their father's.**

" **Dad, don't forget your hat!" Lori, a bit more tan, shouted. Lynn Loud Sr reached up and felt the top of his head.**

" **Huh, so that's what I was missing." Lynn Loud Sr said as he leaned forward, letting Lori put on the hat. With that, Lynn Loud Sr walked to the fields to begin his day.**

Clyde sighed. "Even in this hellish landscape, she is a flower that manages to bloom."

Zach looked at Clyde weirdly. "Why do you like her that much anyway? No offense, Lincoln, but Lori doesn't look like anyone special."

Clyde loomed over Zach, his eyes bright red. **"WHAT DO YOU SAY?! DID YOU JUST QUESTION LORI LOUD'S PERFECTION?!"**

Zach leaned back, quickly shaking his head. "Nonononono, nevermind. She's perfect, LORI LOUD IS PERFECT, PLEASE DON'T HURT ME."

Clyde nodded as he leaned back. "Just what I thought… What are you guys doing over there?"

Lincoln, Rusty and Liam shivered over at the corner. Lincoln shakily smiled as Rusty covered his face and Liam made a cross with his fingers.

"O-o-o-o-oh, y-y-y-y-you k-know…"

" **Alright, everyone!" Rita said to her four daughters: Lori, Leni, Lola and Lana. "Remember what you need to do today! Then you can hang out with your friends."**

 **With that, everyone went out to complete their own chores. Leni went outside and grabbed the pail to draw water from the well for her family and the farm animals. She looked over and smiled, patting the family cow on the head.**

" **Don't worry, Charles! I will be right back with some nice water for you!"**

" **Moo."**

"Huh, Charles is a cow in this dimension? That's new." Lincoln commented as the four other boys looked at him.

"Who's Charles?" Rusty asked.

"Our pet dog." Lincoln responded.

Liam looked around before looking back at Lincoln. "You guys have a dog?"

Lincoln looked contemplative. "Yeah, we do. Though now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen them recently."

 **Taking the pail and humming a song as she walked to their well, she reached the area and paused for a moment as she took in the scene before her.**

 **There was a strange cloaked man trying to draw water from the well.**

 **There was a strange man trying to draw water.**

 **There was a stranger.**

" **AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Leni shrieked before dropping the bucket and running away.**

"Ow... " Clyde groaned as the others tried to get rid of the ringing in their ears.

 **The man looked at the fleeing girl before grimacing.**

" **Shoot, should have done this earlier in the morning." The man muttered to himself as he redoubled efforts to pull the water up. Hearing a couple of noises coming closer, he pulled the water up and felt the dryness of his mouth keenly.**

 **Water… Glorious water! If he wasn't so thirsty, he would have drooled. But no time to savor.**

"Uh...I wouldn't do that." Liam grimaced.

"Do what?" Zach looked at Liam.

 **Immediately, the man tipped the bucket over his mouth, trying to drink as much water as he could. The cold water splashed all over his mouth, chin and his clothes. But almost immediately, the man felt the liquid push up his throat. He leaned over and dry heaved onto the ground.**

"Trying to chug all that water when you're that thirsty. Believe me when I say that I've been through what that guy's been through after a hard day's work." Liam explained.

Lincoln nodded as he scrunched his face. "I see that, man."

 **Then someone smacked him on the head.**

 **Clutching his head, he was left open for other strikes. He curled into a ball and covered his head as he was mobbed and many blunt objects smacked his body. Eventually someone shouted out.**

" **Stop! STOP! ENOUGH!"**

 **The blows stop raining down on the man's body, letting him slowly uncurl. Then, two pairs of burly hands, one more heavily tanned than the other, reached down and grabbed him roughly, forcing him on his knees. An old wrinkled hand reached out and pulled off the hood of the cloak, revealing the familiar face of Lincoln, ony that the shade of his hair seemed a little off.**

"Lincoln!" Clyde gasped. "You're a thief in this universe."

Lincoln sighed. "I've seen worse."

Before Clyde asked, Rusty rubbed his chin as he looked at the alternate Lincoln's hair discerningly. "Hey, is it just me, or does that Lincoln's hair looked different to you?"

The others looked at alternate Lincoln's hair, before Liam nodded. "Yeah, I see what you mean?"

Zach looked at Liam and Rusty. "I don't see it. Both of them look like they have the same hair color."

Rusty looked back at Zach. "What? No, Lincoln's hair is supposed to be Platinum Blonde."

Then it was Clyde's turn to look at Rusty weirdly. "Rusty, no offense. But Lincoln's hair is definitely white."

Liam shook his head. "Nah, I'm no color expert, but I'm definitely sure that Lincoln's hair is Platinum Blonde."

Zach held up a hand. "Wait, why don't we ask Lincoln what color his hair is?"

Seeing everyone turn their attention to him, Lincoln pulled a hair from his head and looked at it. After a few moments, he looked back at the group and shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know."

 **The elder that stood in front of a group of people, including Leni, was absolutely stoic as he looked Lincoln over, before he spoke.**

" **Who are you?"**

 **Lincoln shrugged, or at least he tried to with the two burly men restraining him. "Just a drifter. I just need some food and water and a bit of rest and I'll be out of your hair in a moment."**

Lincoln groaned and shook his head. "Never say 'you're just something.' Chances are, you're probably not."

 **Before the elder could speak, one of the burly men sneered, showing a tooth gap. "Sure, you do. Bet you're just some two bit bandit from the Outside!"**

Clyde turned green. "That's right. What are the chances that peace and civilization would actually survive after a nuclear apocalypse? No supermarkets. No Police… NO ACTUAL MEDICINE! I...I…"

Clyde's eyes rolled to the back of his head before bonelessly flopping to the ground.

"Is...Is he alright?" Liam asked.

Lincoln checked over Clyde for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, he sometimes does this. He'll be fine."

" **Please," Lincoln begged. "I just need food and water."**

" **So, you're going to keep lying? We'll get the truth out of you, soon enough." the other burly guy sneered.**

 **The elder sighed. "Hank, Hawk. Where would you even suggest we even put him? We do not even have any faculties for that thing."**

 **Hank and Hawk looked at the elder. "Don't we have that building that used to hold criminals in the Time Back Then? What was it called? Umm… Prison! We should hold him in Prison!"**

 **Before the elder could talk, the rest of the group cheered and voiced their approval. The elder looked over and saw the fear and paranoia that the villagers had towards Lincoln. He looked back at Lincoln and also felt the same, yet he couldn't help but give a look of sympathy.**

" **My apologies, but we must have a better answer than that."**

 **Lincoln could only groan as he was picked up and dragged off. Near the edge of the crowd, Leni watched as the rest of her family looked over her.**

"That's probably not good for that you, Lincoln." Rusty commented.

"Well, at least it's not entirely unwarranted. Still, mighty inhospitable of them." Liam shook his head.

" **Leni, are you sure that he didn't do anything to you?" Lori asked, alternating looks between her sister and the man that might have harassed her.**

" **Just tell us, and we'll beat him up!" Lola shouted with her twin sister nodding.**

 **Her mother didn't say anything as she hugged her, and her father stood close by and watched to make sure that the stranger didn't make a break for it.**

" **No, he didn't do anything. I think he really just wanted a drink of water." Leni frowned. She knew that the other villagers could be scared of anyone that wasn't from the village, but to see what just happened.**

 **She just didn't feel right about it.**

Lincoln smiled. Looks like some things never changed.

 **Lincoln groaned as he laid down on a ratty mat inside a jail cell that was probably made and used during Back Then. He honestly thought he lucked out when he stumbled upon a hidden village that looked to be populated and flowing with resources. It should have been a simple thing…**

" **No offense, man. You should probably tell the truth." A dark blond haired well muscled teenager with freckles that stood out among his farmer's tan said as he stood guard in front of the jail cell.**

"Huh, that guy seems familiar." Lincoln commented as he pursed his lips. "I just can't place his face."

" **And I did. I'm just a drifter that just wants some food and water. Why is that so hard to comprehend?" Lincoln grumbled as he rubbed his face.**

 **The guard looked over at Lincoln and frowned. "I know I'm not the brightest tool in the shed, but even I can see that body of yours ain't ordinary or gotten from hours of farm work."**

 **Lincoln looked down at his form. Though his clothes looked like nothing special, his vest and jeans looking just as faded as the villagers, what stood out was his musculature. His muscles showed that he had worked out, but it wasn't with the purpose of packing in as much muscle as he could to make the rigors of farm work more easier on his body.**

 **It screamed that his muscles had been created for another purpose.**

Everyone's jaw dropped when alternate Lincoln's musculature was revealed.

"DUDE!" Rusty exclaimed. "YOU'RE RIPPED."

Liam nodded. "That ain't no farmer's body."

Zach adjusted his glasses. "Practically movie-star looks."

"Uhh...What did I miss?" Clyde said as he woke up.

"Dude, Lincoln's ripped." Rusty said.

Clyde looked over at Lincoln. "...No, he's not."

 **Lincoln shrugged. "Either way, that's what I'm telling you. It's not like there's any machines you can use to prove that I'm lying."**

 **The guard frowned. "You do realize that if you don't cooperate, we'll have to treat you like a threat."**

 **Lincoln stared at the guard before outright laughing his head off. The guard stared at him, not knowing what was funny. After a while, Lincoln finally calmed down as he smirked.**

" **You say that like you guys can, no offense."**

Everyone felt a shiver go down their spines as they heard that.

"Definitely different you." Clyde said as he hugged himself.

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah."

 **Before the guard could even ask what he even meant by that, Leni stuck her head in.**

" **Hello, is anyone… Oh hi, Chaz!"**

Lincoln's eyes bugged. "CHAZ?!"

"Who's Chaz?" Rusty asked.

"This guy that I think Leni likes. He's a lot more...huskier here than in this one."

Liam frowned. "Well of course. Doubt anyone would want someone just sitting around eating all the food when the whole world has gone to heck in a hand basket."

 **The guard froze, a bit of a blush already starting to appear on his cheeks as he turned around. "H-Hi, Leni. How are you doing? I mean, are you okay? This guy didn't do anything to you, right?"**

 **Leni rubbed her chin, revealing the basket she had in her hand. "No, unless looking at me counts. Does it?"**

" **No, it doesn't. By the way, what do you have there?" The now identified Chaz asked, pointing at the basket.**

" **Oh, this?" Leni said as she lifted up the basket. "These are some bread and water for the stranger."**

 **Chaz looked apprehensive. "I don't know. I was just talking with the guy, and I'm not sure that we should be giving him anything that could help him recover his strength."**

"Really? Pretty sure that no amount of food could help him get out of a prison cell." Zach commented with Rusty and Liam nodding in agreement. Meanwhile, Clyde noticed Lincoln simply watching without reacting to Zach's comment.

"Lincoln, something wrong?" Clyde asked.

Lincoln shrugged. "Just waiting."

Clyde raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Just waiting."

 **When Chaz looked back at Lincoln, he noticed the expression on the prisoner's face. He looked... shocked? Chaz wasn't sure as like a bolt of lightning, Lincoln shook his head before grimacing.**

"Bet top dollar that there's a story behind that." Liam said.

" **Hey, I said that like nothing you guys can do can pose a threat to me, not that I was planning to hurt somebody. The lady… Leni, didn't you say, is offering me food. If you want, you don't even need to come inside the cell or get near. Just hand the stuff through the bars, will that work?!"**

 **Chaz looked at Leni, who looked at Chaz with a frown. "Stranger or not, we shouldn't have treated him like that. Here, fresh out of the oven and well!"**

 **Leni handed the bread and water to Lincoln, who took it delicately from her hands. Staring at them, he immediately started to feed, visibly restraining himself from scarfing the nourishment down and actually enjoy his food. After a few minutes, there was nothing left but a few crumbs on Lincoln's hands.**

" **Thank you." Lincoln said, blowing his head deeply. "I needed that."**

 **Leni smiled. "You're welcome. So I can ask you something?"**

 **Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what is it?"**

" **Why are you here?"**

" **This again?" Lincoln sighed. "I told you…"**

" **I know." Leni said, her eyes radiating her plea. "Everyone here are nice people, they don't like it when something in our village is off. I know that you can be scary, but I feel like there is something inside of you that I can believe in. Please, can you tell us why you're here?"**

Liam nodded. "Good to see that someone is going to try some hospitality. You never know how much it can work."

"Well, Chaz did have a point. They honestly don't know what Lincoln is doing there." Clyde lightly argued.

"And I'm not saying there's never a time for caution. I'm just saying that suspicion shouldn't stop you from lending a hand. After all, that's how my folks met."

Everyone looked over. "Really?"

 **Lincoln frowned at Leni, though there was something more...melancholy in his expression. He turned to Chaz.**

" **Hey, take off your shirt."**

Everyone blinked.

"Wow, Lincoln." Rusty commented. "That's pretty forward of you."

"Alternate self." Lincoln said.

 **Both Chaz and Leni blinked, before Chaz waved his hands. "Woah, no offense, I see that you worked hard, but I already have-"**

" **Just show me your chest!" Lincoln snarled.**

 **Chaz immediately lifted his shirt. Seeing Chaz's bare chest, Lincoln clicked his tongue. "Well, you should count yourself lucky."**

 **Leni frowned. "Why?"**

 **Lincoln looked between the two, before sighing. "This building is pretty out of the way from the rest of the village, right?"**

 **Chaz and Leni looked at each other, before nodding.**

" **Okay…" Lincoln took a deep breath. "I was telling the truth when I said that I stumbled upon your village. But I figured that if…" Lincoln looked down at the ground and unconsciously snarled.**

" _ **He**_ **was here, I didn't want to tip him off that I was looking for him."**

"Oh… Classic revenge story." Lincoln said, placing his hands in front of his mouth.

 **Chaz blinked. "Who?"**

 **Lincoln looked up, his eyes hard.**

" **A man with seven scars on his chest in the shape of the big dipper."**

Zach whistled. "Yeah, that's pretty hard to hide."

Rusty looked confused. "What about make-up and all that?"

"Nuclear apocalypse, remember?" Lincoln chimed in.

"Oh yeah."

 **Leni stared at him. "What are you going to do if you find him?"**

 **Lincoln looked down at his hand before clenching his hand into a fist. "Kill him."**

"...Just brutally honest, huh?"

 **The blond girl gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "Y-You can't mean that! That's so…"**

" **Why not?" Lincoln snarled. "It's what that b*****d deserves."**

Lincoln shrugged as everyone looked at him. "Installed feature."

 **Leni shook her head before getting up and running up out of the jail. Chaz looked between her and the prisoner before the prisoner looked at him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go comfort your woman."**

 **Chaz blushed. "Leni isn't-"**

" **AHHHHHHH!"**

"OH NO!" Lincoln exclaimed as everyone else gasped.

"That didn't sound good!" Liam said worriedly.

 **Chaz and Lincoln looked at the door in shock.**

" **LENI!" Chaz shouted before running out. Lincoln frowned before quickly waving his hand past the metal bars.**

 **The bars fell away, the cut edges utterly clean.**

Everyone blinked.

"Did that just happen?" Rusty said, looking at everyone else. Zach looked back and nodded. Clyde looked back at Lincoln.

"Yeah, this was what I was talking about."

 **Lincoln quickly ran outside and assessed the situation. Chaz stared down two sneering men while one held Leni close to him, the three men looking like they had raided a football supply store and glued a bunch of spikes on the pads.**

" **S**t, this is a fine woman we got here, looking forward to getting real friendly with her!" The man said as he sniffed Leni, who shivered as she tried to lean away from the man.**

"Dude, creeper alert!" Rusty frowned.

Liam shook his head. "Now that ain't no way to treat a lady!"

" **YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!" Chaz shouted. Just as the bandit holding Leni was about to taunt Chaz some more, he saw Lincoln standing by the prison entrance.**

" **WHO ARE YOU?!"**

 **Chaz looked back, his jaw dropping as he did. "H-How?!"**

 **Leni screamed. "HELP!"**

"COME ON, LINCOLN!" Clyde called out.

"What do you want me to do?" Lincoln asked.

"Oh… I mean alternate Lincoln."

 **Lincoln was silent. Then-**

" **SHAO!" Lincoln** _ **moved.**_ **Blazing past the two bandits in front of Chaz, he swiped a hand past the bandit that was holding Leni hostage, ending up behind him. There was stillness.**

" **W-" Then the two men in of Chaz fell into pieces…**

The five boys stared at the screen.

"AHH!"

" **AHH!" Leni screamed as she pushed away the headless body, the limp hands offering no resistance.**

" **LENI!" Chaz shouted as he came closer and hugged Leni. Leni wrapped her arms around the boy as she took shuddering breaths. Lincoln took a closer look at the bandit's body and frowned.**

" **Huh, hound dogs. Guess they must have been looking for me."**

"HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT?! AND HOW DID HE DO THAT?!" Rusty screamed.

Clyde ran for a nearby trash can.

Liam covered his eyes, muttering something about 'R-rated films.'

Zach went green.

And Lincoln… Maybe he was starting to get jaded towards this kind of thing.

 **Chaz looked up from Leni. "They were looking for you? AND YOU BROUGHT THEM HERE?! Why?"**

 **Lincoln looked up and towards the center of the village, where it seemed like some commotion was happening.**

" **What do you mean? The 'why are they looking for me?' or the 'why did you bring them here?'"**

" **WHY ARE THEY LOOKING FOR YOU?!" Chaz shouted, Leni calming down enough to look at him.**

" **I killed some of their men for their supplies." Lincoln admitted.**

Clyde sat back down next to Lincoln as the others soon got control of themselves. "You know… it's kind of weird, hearing you, even a version of you, talk like that."

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, though this isn't the craziest thing I ever saw through this machine."

Liam gasped. "What could be crazier than this?"

"I saw an alternate reality where I was the dictator of the world who planned to direct all the world's hatred towards me in order for all the nations of the world to strive for world peace."

"...What?"

" **Why did you do it? Couldn't you just have asked?" Leni said.**

 **Lincoln looked at Leni. "No. If it makes you feel better, those people that I killed had killed another group of travelers for those supplies. From what I saw, they looked like regular people, like you. And from all my experiences traveling the wastes, the world out there isn't kind to people like you."**

"Okay, that's kind of easier to swallow." Clyde said.

"...Slightly." Lincoln added.

"Slightly." Clyde agreed.

 **Leni and Chaz's eyes widened in horror. Lincoln ignored them as he looked back at the center. He seemed to be weighing something in his mind before nodding to himself.**

" **Wait here, I'll be back." He said as he turned around and started to walk in the direction of the village center.**

" **WAIT!" Lincoln looked back at Leni. Leni let go of Chaz.**

" **What are you doing?"**

 **Lincoln stared at Leni for a moment, before giving a small smile. "That was some fine bread that you gave me. I figure I would do you a favor by getting rid of the scum."**

 **Leni flinched when she heard Lincoln say that word, but nodded.**

 **Lincoln didn't return the acknowledgement as he jumped onto the roof of the prison before jumping into the distance.**

Lincoln stood up and looked back at the four. "You know, we can stop here if you want. Pretty sure it is going to get worse from here on out."

The four looked at each other before shaking their heads.

"Part of me wants to see the alternate you stop those bandits from hurting any decent farmer folk." Liam admitted.

"Just don't tell my parents about this." Rusty admitted as he settled in.

Zach adjusted his glasses. "Do you think that we'll get an explanation of how what your alternate self does works?"

Clyde gestured to Rusty. "I'm in the same boat as Rusty."

Lincoln nodded. "Alright, let's continue."

 **Landing on the roof of one of the buildings (and managing not to destabilize the whole roof), Lincoln took a look at the situation.**

 **Near the edge of the field, there was at least 60 men on motorcycles with a few better on a jeep, hooting and hollering at the other 15 men that was doing battle with the village men, with a few laying in a pool of their own blood. A bit farther away, the women, the children and the elderly could only watch as the men did their hardest to fight.**

 **It was valiant, but they were still farmers trying to battle seasoned warriors.**

 **Lincoln watched one man fall down, having overextended. The bandit he had been battling grinned viciously as he raised his sword. The man's family, a blond woman with three girls, one looking slightly older than Leni and two little girls that looked like twins, shouted out in horror. And come to think of it, the man shared some features with Leni…**

Lincoln held his breath. Even if it was an alternate version of his dad, he still hoped...

 **Before he could even think about it some more, Lincoln jumped from his perch, hands passing in front of the bandit and landing in front of the brown haired man. The bandit blinked before he fell apart. Lincoln looked at the brown haired man, who was looking between him and the bloody pieces. He looked around.**

Lincoln let out a sigh of relief.

 **He noticed that the battle had stopped, both villagers and bandits staring at the carnage that Lincoln had just unleashed.**

 **Lincoln simply nodded his head towards the noncombatants. "Take your fallen and wounded and get to safety. This battle is mine."**

 **The villagers looked unsure of his words, before the brown haired man quickly got up and nodded to Lincoln. "Thank you."**

 **With that, he left, triggering a shift. The villagers began to ran back to the safety of their families. Leni and Chaz along with the rest of Leni's family, at least he presumed, welcomed back the man with open arms. One of the bandits regained their wits and tried to strike one of the fleeing villagers, only for Lincoln to appear in front of him and swipe his hand in front of the bandit's head.**

 **Angry red lines appeared on the bandit's face before he fell back, a bloody spot where his head was.**

"...Seriously, how does that work?" Zach asked.

 **The bandits stopped, staring at the two corpses.**

" **So… You're the f****r that killed my men."**

 **Lincoln looked past the bandits at the truck that was slightly ahead of all the motorcycles. A giant of a man with bulging muscles was sitting in the back of the repurposed truck with an object covered with a tarp stared at him. He looked both contemplative and angry.**

"Okay, weird question." Rusty said out loud. "But how did these guys get so ripped? What, does protein powder still exist in this world?"

Liam rubbed his chin. "Rusty, you got a point. I mean, these bandits clearly ain't farming, and yet, they got them bodybuilder looks. How does that happen?"

Lincoln shrugged. "Just chalk it up as being part of that universe. It happens."

" **But now, I understand how you managed to kill them. You practice a Fist of the South Star, don't you? And judging from your movements, it is the Waterfowl Fist, isn't it?"**

 _ **The Southern Star Waterfowl Fist. Called 'Nanto Suicho Ken' in its native language, its movements have been comparable to a swan. However, its beauty is matched by its destructive potential and cruelty. Though there is around 108 sects of the South Star, the Waterfowl Fist is counted among the Six Sacred Fists of Nanto, where each sect has a successor that carries out one destiny that have been described in the stars above.**_

 **The man smirked. "So...Do you plan on doing, O Star of Justice?"**

"...Lincoln, does that normally happen?" Clyde was the first to speak.

"...Sometimes." Lincoln admitted.

Zach grimaced. "That was really unhelpful."

Lincoln grimaced as well. "I agree."

Rusty looked confused. "Wait, are waterfowl the same as swans?"

Liam nodded, though the gesture wasn't done with any confidence. "I...think so?"

Rusty shivered in horror. "Either way, I wouldn't want to mess with that guy."

"By the way, guys…" Clyde chimed in. "What do you think of that title, Star of Justice?"

Zach remembered something. "Hey, didn't that narration say something about the Six Sacred Fists of Nanto?"

Rusty 'hmm'ed'. "Maybe those Six Sacred Fists were supposed to be superheroes, saving the innocent throughout the world?"

Liam looked at Rusty. "Then why did it sound like Star of Justice was the only title?"

"Either way," Clyde looked back at the screen. "That world could definitely use some heroes."

"I'll say." Lincoln agreed.

 **Lincoln simply cracked his neck before getting back into his fighting stance. "Frankly, scum like you are a dime a dozen. Why bother getting worked up about it that much? Besides, I've heard things about you, MM. Heard you have a weapon that can turn any human into mulch. Figure it would be a decent warm-up for my real target."**

 **MM snorted as he got up.**

" **Men, kill him."**

" **But Boss!" One of the henchmen near Lincoln shouted in fear. "What are we supposed to do?"**

" **Do it, or I'm not sparing you when I bring out Old Betsy."**

 **The henchmen all shivered, before all of them nearest Lincoln turned back to look at him.**

" **What's the plan?!"**

 **One of them growled before brandishing his sword. "BUM RUSH HIM! HE CAN'T TAKE ALL OF US AT ONCE!"**

Lincoln shook his head. "Shouldn't have said that."

 **The henchmen looked at each other, before their bravado began to build, all of them brandishing their weapons and snarling at Lincoln. Lincoln simply smirked as he gestured to them.**

" **Come."**

 **With a furious cry, the bandits charged at Lincoln, roaring for blood.**

" **SHAO!"**

 **With a shout of his own, Lincoln** _ **flew**_ **into battle. His hands weaved death as they passed by the bodies of his opponents. Soon, his battle cry was joined by a cacophony of screams, punctuated with sprays of crimsons as pieces fell to the ground.**

" **SHAO!"**

 **A sword was cut into even pieces.**

" **SHAO!"**

 **A bandit fell forward, mouth dripping blood as his torso and legs fell at different times.**

" **SHAO!"**

 **A bandit lost an arm.**

" **SHAO!"**

 **A bandit reached up and fumbled around, feeling the space where his head was.**

" **SHAO!"**

"My word…" Liam looked both disgusted and awed. "He sounded like the most majestic bird."

Rusty nodded. "If he wasn't cutting people into pieces, I could actually watch him fight all day."

Zach chuckled nervously. "He certainly does look fabulous.

 **With a final shout, Lincoln burst past the final wave of attackers, crouching down on the ground. Behind him, bodies laid silent, their last pleas simply words on the wind. As Lincoln slowly stood up, his ears heard something.**

" **LOOK OUT!" Leni's voice and his instincts screamed at him to move to the side, just in time as the whir turned into roaring death. Bullets chewed up the ground where he was before the bullets stop coming and the noise ended. Lincoln looked over at MM and whistled.**

" **A Minigun, huh?" Lincoln said, examining the large barrel gun that MM was holding up and fired with no problem. "I'm surprised you managed to find one in working condition. Still, that's how you plan to fight me?"**

 **MM smirked. "What does it matter? In the wastes, what mattered is the winner stays alive and the loser dies! And I've been watching, you have to be pretty close for your 'Waterfowl fist' to be effective! WELL, GUESS WHAT?! WHAT GOOD IS YOUR FANCY KARATE WHEN I HAVE A GUN?!"**

 **Lincoln smirked. "Well, come on then. Kill me."**

 **MM grinned viciously as the barrel of the minigun spun. "WITH PLEASURE!"**

 **Just as bullets spewed from the barrel, Lincoln dug his hands into the ground and threw them skyward, a cloud of dust and earth erupting from the ground.**

" **USELESS!" MM shouted as the minigun sprayed lead death, tearing the dust cloud apart.**

 **Only for Lincoln to be not there.**

" **WHAT?" MM looked from side to side, trying to find the platinum blonde.**

" **SHAO!"**

 **MM looked up. Falling to the earth, like a bird with its wings outstretched…**

" **Beautiful…" MM whispered.**

" **SOUTHERN STAR WATERFOWL FIST: SOARING PURE GRACE!"**

 **Lincoln landed in front of MM, his hands passing through the middle of the bandit leader and the jeep he was on. Silence reigned as everyone stared as MM dropped his minigun. Lincoln stood back up and put two fingers on MM's forehead as he checked MM's chest. Seeing MM's scarless chest, he looked back up at MM's unseeing eyes.**

" **I win."**

 **As he pushed MM back, he also parted his fingers as he jumped off the jump.**

 **One body fell back, two halves landed on the jeep before the whole thing erupted into a giant fireball.**

The boys were staring at the screen.

"...Dude."

"Dude…"

"Dude."

 **Lincoln didn't pay it any mind as he stared at the remainder of MM's gang as they stared at the spot where their leader had just been cremated at. He frowned.**

" **Well...Can't let you guys leave."**

 **He brought his hands up.**

 **The screams started up again. The villagers could only stare flabbergasted. Leni continued to cover Lola and Lana's ears as the two little girls closed their eyes tightly.**

 **One bandit, clutching his arm, ran out from behind the smoke and ran towards the villagers before tripping.**

 **Hearing footsteps behind him, the bandit paled as he saw Lincoln step towards him, the tiniest flecks of crimson on his clothes and face a clue to what happened to his comrades. Desperately crab walking back, he lost his rhythm and was soon reduced to desperately flailing his limbs, producing whatever momentum to move him further away from death. He looked back at the villagers.**

 **He cried out to them.**

" **HELP! HELP ME! PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"**

" **Shouldn't have picked a fight with me then."**

 **Lincoln's hand descended.**

 **Silence.**

Everyone looked at Lincoln, who looked a little green himself.

 **Lincoln looked up before quietly walking over to the villagers, and more specifically, at the elder. Stopping in front of him, he stared at the old man. The Elder tried his best to make eye contact, but he couldn't quite mask his fear.**

" **I want all the men of the village to take off their shirts."**

" **Why?"**

" **I'm looking for someone."**

" **And what will you do if you find them?"**

 **Lincoln frowned. "What of it? Can you actually stop me?"**

 **The men of the village looked at each other, before taking off their shirts. Lincoln's eyes roamed each man's chest.**

 **He couldn't hide his disappointment.**

"Dude…" Rusty looked at Lincoln. "Your alternate self can be a real jerk."

Lincoln thought of something. "Wait a second, did he actually ever say why he was looking for the guy with seven scars?"

The rest of the boys thought for a moment before shaking their heads.

 **Lincoln checked over his supplies for the second time and nodded to himself. Everything seemed to be in order. Wrapping everything, he attached it to the motorcycle that had been in the best condition from MM's gang. Distributing the weight as best he could and securing the supplies, he checked everything again and nodded to himself as he was satisfied.**

 **Looking back at the village, he looked at the people trying their best to put today behind them. Whether they worked harder in the fields, or whether they were making sure that their children were alright, it was clear that they were doing their best to get back on their feet. Being outside, he could appreciate the humble beauty of the village.**

 **A village that already made it clear he wasn't welcome anymore, judging from the few glares he got.**

"'Thank you for saving our village and putting your life on the line.'" Clyde mimed.

Liam rubbed the back of his head. "Well, he was kind of responsible for bringing a bandit gang into their village."

 **Taking one last view of the village, he hopped on the motorcycle and turned it on, the roar of the engine making him smile. Just as he was about to go…**

" **WAIT!"**

 **Lincoln looked back to see Leni and Chaz running over to him. Getting close to him, Leni handed over another bag to him. Looking at them curiously, he opened the bag to reveal a freshly made loaf of bread.**

" **Oh...Thanks. This is really good bread."**

" **But it's not why you saved us." Chaz said. Lincoln said nothing.**

" **Why did you?"**

 **Lincoln stared down at the loaf of bread, before pointedly looking at Leni. "You know…"**

 **The martial artist took a deep breath.**

" **You're probably her age."**

 **Leni looked confused. "Who?"**

 **Lincoln became wistful. "My little sister, Lily. She probably is your age."**

 **Leni and Chaz's eyes widened in horror. "You mean?"**

 **Lincoln nodded. "While I was training in the Waterfowl Fist, the man with seven scars came into my village and kidnapped her. The seven scars are the only lead that I have."**

"Oh man…" Clyde shook his head. "He's got so much ground to cover…"

 **The martial artist was about to take off, before Leni grabbed him by the arm. "Take care out there. And I hope you can find them, both of them."**

 **Lincoln simply smiled.**

" **I hope the same thing."**

 **With that, and the roar of a motorcycle, Lincoln left.**

Lincoln sighed as he turned the machine off before checking the time. "OH CRUD, WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT PROJECT.!"

Liam, Zach, Rusty and Clyde looked at each other.

"Actually, now that I think about it, there was something else that bothers me." Clyde said.

* * *

"Lincoln, what's this?" Lisa asked as she and the rest of the sisters stared into the kitchen.

Lincoln looked up along with his friends as they were surrounded by papers and a blackboard that had tons of writing on it with the title of 'White or Platinum Blonde?'

"Oh, we're trying to figure out if my hair is white or platinum blonde."

Lisa scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? It's white."

"Really?" Leni spoke up. "I thought it was platinum blonde?"

Lisa looked at Leni.

* * *

Inspiration: Fist of the North Star

Authors Note: Too much? Should I change to M now? I mean, other than this chapter, I don't have any ideas that demand for M rating.


	11. Lincoln Loud vs The World

Lincoln whistled as he left his room. Today, he planned to visit his friend Clyde at his house. Before he could go down the stairs, hands came out and pulled him into Lisa's room.

Lincoln sighed. "Let me guess, you guys want me to work the machine?"

"Well...Frankly, we got nothing better to do." Lori admitted.

Lynn Jr. nodded. "There's only so many times I can dribble my balls by myself, and none of my friends want to hang out."

Luna tuned her guitar. "Been suffering a dry spell, dude. Hopefully watching some alternate universe can give me some inspiration."

Luan thought for a moment before shrugging. "Can't think of a joke."

Lincoln checked the time. "Well, I guess I have some time to burn. Alright, new universe?"

Hearing the affirmatives, Lincoln punched in the keys, and the screen shifted to a new scene.

" **...What is this?" An older version of Lincoln asked, one backpack strap over his shoulder. Other than his overbite not being as prominent, not much was different besides the uniform that clearly screaming 'catholic school.' Near his body, a textbox showed.**

 **LINCOLN LOUD/TRANSFER STUDENT/SIXTEEN YEARS OLD**

"And there goes any thought that might be a normal alternate universe." Lincoln remarked.

Lori nodded. "Yeah, it's really weird that the most normal one that we've gotten is that cooking universe-OH GOD, IT'S BACK!"

Luan looked at Lori weirdly. "What are you tal- I REMEMBER NOW?! GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD! I DON'T NEED IT!"

Desperately trying to think of something else and spare herself of the horror, Lynn Jr. looked at Lynn before stopping. "Luna, are you okay? Your nose is bleeding."

"Y-Yeah." Luna said as she hurriedly wiped her nose. "Still, worth the scarring."

 **In front of him, a well maintained school, clearly well funded, stood in front of him. Brown and Orange leaves flew around in the breeze, marking the changing of the season. It was very pretty.**

 **ST. JOEL'S CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL/NORTHERN ONTARIO**

"Huh, I'm Canadian in this one? That's new." Lincoln remarked.

"Quite a surprise, EH?" Luan grinned as she nudged Lincoln. A few seconds of silence passed.

Luan shriveled up. "Sorry, guys. Guess I could use some inspiration."

"Join the club." Luna said as she patted Luan's back in sympathy.

 **But what commanded Lincoln's attention were the three bad boys that stood in front of him, smirking and cracking their knuckles. One of them grinned evilly as he pointed his finger at Lincoln. "This is where you get your education."**

 **Lincoln blinked. "Are you guys serious?"**

 **The trio advanced.**

" **I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Lincoln shouted, utterly frustrated as he dropped his backpack behind and put up his fist, ready to fight.**

" **LET'S GO!"**

"Well, it was nice knowing you." Lynn Jr. commented.

"Oh, come on! That me could probably take them!" Lincoln protested.

"Lincoln, that Lincoln doesn't look physically capable, and also Canadian. No offense, but he's probably not going to win this." Luan said.

"Why do you guys always do this?" Lincoln lamented.

 **The clock ticked as Lincoln Loud, now sporting a few new bruises and a small black eye, waited in a chair for the principal to call him into his office. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he put his chin on his hands. How did he lose? His fighting techniques were flawless…**

 **Well, at least he thought so.**

"Well, I'm surprised. He managed to put up more of a fight than I thought." Lori whistled.

"See?" Lincoln leaned back. "I told you."

"MAN!" Lynn Jr. groused. "A fight happens and it's offscreen! Why didn't you invite for that showing with you being an apocalyptic martial artist who can cut people with his hands? That sounded cool!

Lincoln grimaced. "It wasn't that cool… Disturbing, really…"

" **So...What are you in for?" Lincoln turned to look at the person that talked to him.**

 **Sitting it in the chair next to him was a white teenage girl with black hair save for a streak of magenta to be on one of her bangs and shocking pink eyeliner. She was wearing a regular schoolgirl uniform, a white blouse underneath a sleeveless sweater and a skirt that went past just the of her fingers. She wore a ton of bracelets and wristbands and had on black socks with pink stripes on it, covered by sneakers.**

"From British Governor's daughter to regular Canadian teenager." Luna rubbed her chin. "That has to be the weirdest transition I've ever heard of."

" **I got into a fight." Lincoln grinned. "An awesome fight."**

" **Did you win?" The girl asked.**

 **Lincoln's grin disappeared as he considered. Right below his head, a textbox showed up.**

 **No.**

 **Yes.**

 **Lincoln sighed.**

 **No.**

 **Yes.**

" **Not really." Lincoln sighed as he looked away, missing the smile that the girl gave him.**

" **Well, at least you're honest." The girl said as a text box appeared right above her head.**

 **TABBY MILLER WILL REMEMBER THAT.**

"Okay, what are with these textboxes?" Lynn Jr. complained. "Do these guys even notice them, or do they just ignore them?"

"Or maybe they're just there for our benefit?" Luna guessed. "By the way, what do you think it means by 'Tabby Miller will remember that.'"

"Oh, she wants him." Lori smirked.

"LORI!" Lincoln leaned back, a little shocked.

" **By the way, are you new?" The girl asked.**

" **Yeah." Lincoln responded.**

 **Lisa grinned. "Me too. I'm Tabby."**

" **Lincoln Loud."**

" **How long have you been here?"**

 **Lincoln thought for a moment. "About fifteen minutes."**

 **Tabby whistled. "Only that long and you got beat up? You must totally be great. We should be friends?"**

 **Lincoln quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"**

" **Uh-huh."**

Lori blinked. "Wow, she works quick."

Luan smirked. "Guess she wants to make some sweet music with Lincoln."

Luna quirked her eyebrow. Now that she got past the shock of seeing Tabby in an alternate dimension, even she could see that Tabby was going pretty fast. Even when she met her, it took a few more meetings for Tabby to get comfortable around her. And come to think about it, was Tabby blushing?

 **Lincoln sat on a couch in the darkened basement, the only light coming from the turned on TV. His fingers were a blue as they manipulated the buttons on the game controller he was holding. On the TV, a black boxer was beating the stuffing out of a raptor.**

"Geez, Lincoln, go outside some time. That can't be good for you." Lynn Jr. shook her head.

Luan nudged Lincoln. "You should be glad that Lisa isn't here, otherwise she would lecture you on the importance of your eyesight."

"Don't I know it." He responded.

" **LINCOLN?!"**

" **WHAT?!" Lincoln shouted, his eyes not leaving the TV screen.**

" **VISITOR!"**

" **WHAT? WHATEVER!"**

" **He's down there. Go on in."**

 **Lincoln shouted back up the stairs. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYONE IN THIS TOWN!"**

 **Tabby walked downstairs. "Hey!"**

" **What are you doing in my house?!" Lincoln asked, his eyes still glued to the TV and his video game.**

"Wow, get your eyes off your video game and put them on your visitor." Lori shook her head in disapproval. "Pretty sure even I'm not that bad."

Luan, Luna, Lynn Jr., and Lincoln looked at Lori before looking back at the screen.

"By the way, who was that? That didn't sound like dad." Luna asked.

" **Your brother let me in." Tabby replied as she sat down on the other couch.**

Everyone blinked.

"I-WE HAVE A BROTHER IN THIS UNIVERSE?!"

 **Lincoln groaned. "This is ridiculous! No, we can't be friends!"**

 **Tabby pointedly ignored that as she looked back at the game that Lincoln was playing. "Are you playing video games? And do you guys have lemonade?"**

" **YES! And No! We only have iced tea." Lincoln said, fingers furiously pushing buttons.**

" **Okay, I'll go ask your brother where the glasses are." Tabby said as she got up and made her way to the stairs. Just then she turned around to look at Lincoln. "By the way, what's your brother's name?"**

" **Lemy." Lincoln responded as his character dealt the finishing blow to his AI opponent. He finally looked up and narrowed his eyes, the effects of playing video games in a dark room showing themselves.**

" **Who are you?"**

"Wow, rude." Luna remarked, feeling a little irked at the alternate Lincoln's disrespect.

"I know, but did you hear the other brother's name? Lemy? LEMY?" Lori just looked so utterly shocked that her parents, even in an alternate dimension, actually chose to name someone that.

"I KNOW! It makes him sound like that animal that jumps off the climb… What was that animal called again?" Lynn Jr. asked as she rubbed her chin.

"You're thinking of lemmings. And yeah, Lemy? There's tons of names that start with L, like Lane!" Luan declared.

"Luke!" Luna said.

"Loki." Lori added.

"Lynn III has a nice ring to it." Lynn grinned.

"Liam, oh wait, that's already taken." Lincoln realized before he went back to trying to think of another name.

 **Tabby and Lincoln were sitting at a table by themselves in the school cafeteria. They looked lost in their own world, as Tabby read a book while she munched on some fries that had what looked to be refried beans and melted cheese on top and Lincoln ate a sandwich next to her. As she swallowed what she was eating, she looked over at Lincoln and lifted up her book revealing the title to be 'A Catcher in the Rye'.**

" **Hey! Do you know this? Have you read this?"**

 **Lincoln looked over, annoyed as he opened his mouth to take an another bite.**

" **What? No!"**

 **Tabby looked over, setting her book down. "You know that English Class is next period, right?"**

 **Lincoln petulantly shut his eyes as he chewed. "Shut up! Go away!" As he said this, an arrow appeared next to his head.**

← **Hates being bothered when eating**

"As rude as this Lincoln is being, I totally agree with him. Lunch time is food time." Lynn Jr. nodded, as if having dispensed sage-like wisdom.

"Boy, she's really trying." Luan grimaced. "It's starting to come across as desperate."

"Yeah, no offense to her, but it's starting to be a little...weird." Lincoln admitted.

Lori nodded. "Yeah, I agree."

 **Tabby started to take another fry from her platter when she started to consider it. "Have you ever bought these Mexican fries? Isn't that, like… kinda racist or something?"**

"Only if you make it so." Luna commented.

 **Lincoln swallowed as he thought about the question and shrugged. "I don't know. My mom packs my lunch."**

 **Tabby smiled as she leaned back in her chair, picking up her book. "What a sweet, innocent boy you are."**

 **Lincoln didn't respond as he continued eating his sandvich.**

Lincoln felt the rest of his sisters look at him with a smirk. "...No comment."

 **Tabby sat against a tree in the front yard of the school as all the students passed her by, lost in their own conversations. The leaves had fallen to the ground, covering the group like newly laid carpet. Tabby picked up one of the leaves and turned it around in her hand, looking at it from all angles.**

 **The squeal of the brakes and a distinctive odor made Tabby look up just in time to see the school bus park in front of the school and opened its doors. Students poured, and eventually one Lincoln Loud walked out of the bus. As he passed through the gates, he spotted Tabby sitting nearby.**

" **Hey." "Hey."**

 **About ready to continue walking towards the school, Lincoln realized that Tabby hadn't gotten up yet.**

 **Stay behind.**

 **Keep on walking.**

 **After waiting a couple of seconds, Lincoln sighed.**

 **Stay behind.**

 **Keep on walking.**

 **Lincoln came over and sat down next to Tabby. He thought for a moment before realizing that he didn't have much to say. The two sat in silence before Tabby quietly averted her eyes away from Lincoln.**

" **Do you hate me?"**

 **Lincoln stared at Tabby.**

 **No**

 **Yes**

…

 **TABBY MILLER WILL REMEMBER THAT.**

"...Aww." Lori said as she clutched her hands in front of her heart.

"That's so sweet." Luan smiled.

"That was so sugary, I think I got diabetes." Lynn Jr. admitted.

"You know, dudes." Luna said. "This is nice, just two normal people, just being normal. We should watch more universes like this."

" **Who's Tabby Miller?" Lynn Loud asked as everyone dined at the dinner table. Well, almost everyone as Rita Loud keep shouting for Lemy to join everyone.**

" **Lincoln's new girlfriend." Lucy Loud replied just as Lincoln spewed his food back onto his plate to glare at his dad and sister.**

" **SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"**

" **Yap yap yap yap!" Charles went as he passed under the table.**

" **Lincoln, you have a girlfriend?" Lynn Loud grinned, a knowing glint in his eye. "Is she cute?"**

" **Yes, Lincoln…" Lucy smiled. "Please tell us about her."**

" **SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Lincoln shouted harder, a bit of a blush on his cheeks.**

 **Lynn Loud didn't stop smiling as he lifted his glass of water.**

" **Do you** _ **want**_ **her to be your girlfriend?"**

"And alternate Lincoln likes her back. Can't wait to see this." Lori grinned, with Luna giving a thumbs up as well.

" **They don't want you hanging out with girls? What are they, five?!" Tabby shook her head as Lincoln told her about his family. The two were hanging out after dark in an empty parking lot.**

" **I know, right?" Lincoln replied as he watched Tabby get ready to a trick on her skateboard.**

"Huh, Tabby is skateboarding… Never thought I'd see that." Luna admitted.

 **He nodded as Tabby did a ollie and landed perfectly. "Nice."**

 **He was then reminded of something else. "Hey, what's your family like?"**

" **I don't even want to talk about it."**

Everyone looked at Luna.

"Alternate dimension. They're nice folks here." Luna admitted, though part of her still went out the alternate Tabby. Even though she didn't say much, what she did say didn't say great things.

" **Harsh." He said as he watched Tabby jump off the skateboard after an aborted trick. As she grabbed the skateboard and walked back over to Lincoln, she looked like she was thinking about something. After a while, she looked at Lincoln.**

" **Hey, didn't you say that your mom has a guitar?"**

"Looks like this Tabby is going to follow in your footsteps." Luan commented.

"Wait, is she gonna try to form a band with Lincoln?" Lynn Jr. quirked an eyebrow.

"Why is that a problem? Bro here can carry a beat." Luna said, defending her little brother.

"Yeah,you should totally see me and Clyde when we have a jam session!" Lincoln boasted.

 **The teacher looked at his papers as he considered what to do next. "Umm...New Kid, you're partnered up with Mollie, alright? Okay, everyone get into your groups and start brainstorming for your project."**

 **Everyone got up and sat near their partners, the classroom immediately filling with chatter about the project or something else. Lincoln himself picked up his backpack and looked for the lone seat open to his partner. Finding it, he walked over and set the backpack on the ground, taking a look at his partner Mollie.**

 **She was a teenage girl with dark brown hair that she had tied into a decently long ponytail. While she wore the school's uniform, she also wore a large grey hooded sweatshirt over the top. As Lincoln pulled out the chair, the girl turned to look at him, a deadpan look on her face.**

"Wait, who is she?" Lori asked, unfamiliar with the new face.

"Oh, that's Mollie. Remember the whole Love guru thing?" Lincoln asked.

Luan grinned. "Oh, how could I forget? That thing fueled my routines for weeks."

Lincoln looked at Luan before turning back to everyone else. "Well, apparently Flat Tire asked her out to go to a cemetery. It didn't work out."

"...Okay, keep that guy away from Lucy." Lynn Jr. frowned.

" **Hey…" She said.**

" **Hey." Lincoln greeted as he took a seat. "So what are we doing?"**

 **Mollie shrugged. "Some stupid partner thing that you'll probably slack off on and leave me to do all the work."**

Lincoln blinked and tried to make himself as small as possible as the sheer ire and malice coming from his sisters made it suddenly very uncomfortable to be in the small room as them.

 **Lincoln blinked.**

 **Umm...Okay.**

 **That's right, lackey. Now get to work.**

 **Lincoln held out his hand. "Umm...Okay. Nice to meet you too. I'm Lincoln."**

 **Mollie took his hand and shook it. "The pleasure's all mine."**

All of the sisters nodded as the oppressive aura wore off. Lincoln resisted the urge to sigh in relief.

 **Lincoln and Tabby were sitting inside Lincoln's room, which looked like nearly every other boy's room, with posters on the walls and comic books on the nearby shelf. Lincoln was sitting on his bed while Tabby sat on a nearby chair, both facing each other as they fiddled with the instruments in their hands. Lincoln had a guitar and Tabby had a bass. Lincoln looked up, utterly confused.**

" **Why do you even want to start a band, anyway? I mean, obviously I suck at guitar."**

 **Tabby looked up, her expression incredulous.**

" **Lincoln! If we had a band, we would be** _ **COOL.**_ **We would transcend our class status or whatever, and become automatically cool."**

Luna frowned. That sort of attitude, especially coming from Tabby or at least an alternate version, absolutely rubbed her the wrong way. Forming a band and making music together, in her opinion, should be for fun or because you feel like you have something to say.

Forming a band just because you want to be popular is dumb, because she could still remember what the general public makes popular…

'Baby, Baby, oooooo…'

Luna shivered.

"Luna, you cold?" Lincoln asked.

"Nah, bro. Just remembered something…"

 **Lincoln looked at Tabby confused. "...Class status?"**

 **Tabby shook her head before looking back at Lincoln. "You know how I'm not a goth and you're not a jock?"**

" **I… I'm such a jock!"**

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Lynn Jr. laughed out as soon as she heard that.

As she calmed down, she looked at Lincoln again. "PFT HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" At this point, she was slapping herself on the knee.

Finally, she calmed down, wiping a tear from her eye. "Best laugh I've ever had."

 **Tabby snickered for a bit. "Anyway, they have this thing… 'Lunchaplooza'. Everyone goes! We play there, we'll be FAMOUS! Besides, we own instruments, so might as well, right?"**

 **Lincoln looked around before speaking up again. "What about… There's only two of us, right?"**

 **Tabby put a finger on her lip, before nodding. "Drums would definitely help."**

"Passion would help even more." Luna couldn't help but snipe.

" **You suck at drawing, don't you?" Mollie asked as she observed Lincoln doing his best to draw a map of Russia for their project in the classroom with everyone else doing their own thing. Lincoln looked up, a little annoyed.**

" **Maps are hard! I could draw it really good if it was a sheep."**

"A sheep…" Lincoln muttered, utterly crestfallen. "This guy could only draw a good sheep…"

 **Mollie quirked an eyebrow. "A sheep? Are you serious? Show me."**

 **Lincoln nodded and took out a seperate piece of paper. Soon, he managed to draw out the roughest approximation of a sheep. Just as he started to work on the back, he paused for a moment, looking deep in thought before turning to Mollie.**

" **I forget, do sheep have curly tails, or is that pigs?"**

"Lincoln, you okay?" Lori asked as Lincoln got up and headed towards Lisa's desk. Everyone jumped as Lincoln face planted into the wood.

A few moments passed before Lincoln returned to his seat. "I… I will be. Eventually."

 **Mollie looked at the drawing then at Lincoln before silently guffawing. "That's the worst sheep I've ever seen!"**

 **Lincoln looked scandalized. "What are you talking about? This is such a good sheep!"**

" **Whatever." Mollie said as she went back to the map. Lincoln shrugged and joined her.**

 **A few minutes passed working on the map, before Mollie looked up at Lincoln.**

" **Hey, you hang out with that girl Tabby all the time, right?" Mollie asked.**

 **Lincoln wasn't sure how this related to the project. "I guess."**

" **Are you guys going out?"**

 **Yes.**

 **No.**

The scene shifted before the Alternate Lincoln made his choice, and everyone booed.

"OH COME ON!" Lori shouted.

 **Lincoln and Tabby sat together in the school auditorium along with the rest of the school as they watched the school band play...pretty badly. It was like half of the people on the stage had a really long day and they just wanted to go home already. The same look was on the face of the conductor as he tried his best to make something out of the cacophony that was being produced.**

Everyone cringed as they heard the noise.

"...You know, even though I know nothing about music, I'm pretty sure I could do better than that." Lynn Jr. commented.

"Pretty sure all of us could." Lori admitted.

All the while, Luan rubbed Luna's back as she vomited into the trash can.

 **The two friends did their best to bear through the noise when Lincoln noticed something. Picking through the noise, he did his best to listen to this person's playing before making a decision. He nudged Tabby, who turned to look at him.**

" **That girl," He said as he pointed towards the stage. "She's in my Geography class."**

 **Tabby looked around before looking back at Lincoln and shot him an annoyed stare. "Dude, there's like a zillion girls up there! Gotta be specific."**

" **The girl on the drums."**

 **Tabby looked back at Mollie, who was playing the drums, and frankly being the best musician of the whole bunch.**

" **She can totally play." Lincoln said, looking amazed.**

 **Tabby nodded. "She's certainly hitting those drums with those sticks, yeah."**

Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Well, that's the greatest thing I've ever heard about a drummer."

 **Tabby took a second look at Mollie and considered her.**

" **Well, she could use some eyeliner though."**

"...Okay then."

" **Hey, Lincoln." Lincoln looked up from his locker, hearing something through the din of after school chatter. Looking to the direction of the voice, he saw Mollie and a black girl, though she looked vaguely familiar, walk towards him.**

" **Oh hi." Lincoln said as he checked back on his locker and nodded to himself that he got everything before looking back at Mollie and the other girl. "So, yeah. Presentation on Monday, right?"**

 **Mollie gave a small smile. "Yeah, don't worry. We'll be fine."**

 **Lincoln returned the smile as he closed his locker. "Cool. Yeah. Cool!"**

 **Mollie seemed to remember something as she turned and gestured to the other girl. "Oh, this is Joy. Joy, Lincoln. We have geography together."**

" **Hi." She said deadpan.**

 **As the two turned away, Mollie looked over her shoulder. "I'll see you on Monday, okay? Remember, first period!"**

" **Yeah! For sure!" Lincoln said, his smile still on his lips as he waved goodbye.**

"...What was this scene for?" Lincoln couldn't help asking.

Luan nodded. "Yeah, I agree with Lincoln. What was the point of that?"

Lynn Jr. looked at both of them like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Didn't you hear her. 'I'll see you on Monday?' You might as well say 'Gee, I hope nothing happens to me!'"

 **Lincoln and Tabby sat underneath a tree, the leaves serving as their blanket. Both were dressed out of their uniforms and in their casual clothes and jackets, simply enjoying the peace and tranquility that nature provided. But Lincoln was leaning forward, deep in thought about something. Then he said something.**

" **I think I like her."**

"...What?" "What?" "What?" "What?" "What?"

 **Tabby turned to face Lincoln. "What?"**

" **Mollie." Lincoln said as he slightly turned his head to the side.**

 **Tabby turned fully, her face incredulous. "You like her LIKE HER? You barely even know her!"**

 **Lincoln continued looking to the side. "Uhh… I mean like I'd** _ **like**_ **her to join her band."**

"Oh, he's so full of it!"

 **Tabby relaxed. "Oh… Did you ask her yet?"**

 **Lincoln looked back as he shook his head. "No, I'll ask her on Monday."**

Lincoln blinked. "Well, that was a thing."

Luna took a deep breath, before letting it out. 'I'm fine. I'm fine.'

 **MONDAY**

 **Lincoln whistled as he walked down the streets, not minding the dark clouds over the head. He checked his watch before nodding to himself. Still plenty of time to get to class and their presentation. He continued forward, towards the school…**

Lincoln blinked. "Wait, didn't I take the bus? Why am I walking?"

Lori hmm'd. "Maybe you missed it."

 **Completely ignoring the unconscious male student that was laying on the ground to the side.**

"Geez, Lincoln." Luna couldn't help commenting. "That's cold."

"I know." Lincoln grimaced. "I just ignored him? What if he needed help?"

 **The white haired teenager noticed that the doors to the school were left open. As he crossed the threshold, he blinked as he beheld the scene before him.**

 **The school looked like a warzone, and his fellow male classmates were the casualties, groaning and writhing in pain on the floor. Lincoln blinked, unsure of what happened. Suddenly, the rush of sneakers against the floor could be heard as Tabby and Joy turned the corner and spotted him.**

" **LINCOLN! OH MY GOD!" She shouted as she ran over with Joy, stopping in front of him. "THE BENVIE TECH BOYS! OH MY GOD!"**

" **THEY CAME AND BEAT EVERYONE UP!" Joy cried out as she gestured to three guys on the ground.**

"Wait, who are the Benvie Tech boys?" Lincoln asked.

"I would like to know that, dudes." Luna admitted.

" **Urkkk…" One of them managed to get out of his throat. Another one tried to get up, only to collapse back to the ground.**

" **Wow…" Lincoln remarked, seeing the carnage around him. "Great day to miss the bus."**

"...Is this guy serious?" Lynn Jr. couldn't help but ask.

"I think he is." Lori said, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously, that's cold." Luan interjected.

" **LINCOLN!" Tabby shouted. "THEY GOT MOLLIE!"**

Everyone looked between each other, before looking back at the screen. "Why?!"

 **Lincoln gasped. "OUR PRESENTATION!"**

 **Lincoln quickly doffed his backpack to the ground and turned to look at Tabby and Joy. "Don't worry, I'll get Mollie back!"**

 **As he ran out of St. Joel's, he could hear Tabby shout at him. "KICK THEIR BUTTS, LINCOLN!"**

"Umm...Shouldn't you call the police, or wait for some of your classmates to get up? Pretty sure that any group of people that can beat up your entire schoolboy population is going to require some back up!" Luna said.

Lynn Jr. remembered something. "Also, didn't this you lose in a fight against those three?"

"I can't watch!" Luan shouted as she covered her eyes.

 **BENVIE TECH H.S. - THE BENVIE BOYS TURF!**

"WAIT, THEY'RE HIGH SCHOOLERS?! WHERE IS THEIR PRINCIPAL? THIS SCHOOL CAN'T BE THIS BAD THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE PUNISHED FOR BEATING UP ANOTHER SCHOOL'S SCHOOLBOY POPULATION?!" Lori screamed.

"Where are the police? Pretty sure that this is serious enough for them to get involved…" Lincoln asked as well.

" **CHANDLER!" Lincoln shouted as he punched a guy in the face, dropping him to the ground, not that he could be seen because of the crowd of punks and pissed off teenagers surrounding him. "I'M HERE! DON'T BE A B***H, B***H!"**

" **Like heck we wi-" The punk's words were stopped after a helping of knuckle sandwich. He was soon replaced by a dozen more.**

"...Is this happening?" Lincoln asked, unsure of what he was seeing.

 **Lincoln ducked under a punch, before jumping up and kicking behind him, catching the guy in the back. As the guy went down, Lincoln kicked with his other leg, catching another guy on the chest. That guy fell down too.**

 **As Lincoln landed, he crouched on the ground. A moment later, a punk tried to boot him in the face. Lincoln quickly turned, the boot ending up in another goon's groin.**

 **Everyone in the immediate area immediately winced in sympathy as the guy tried out loud.**

"He's surviving…" Lori breathed in disbelief.

 **Lincoln took advantage, punching the kicker hard in the chest and sending him flying into the crowd of Benvie Boys. Turning around, he grabbed the aching guy and started to hit other people with the body like it was a hammer. Blow by blow, Lincoln drove a group of the Boys back. Spotting the people to his back were starting to regroup, he chucked the guy at them.**

 **He ducked under the boot of another, and struck the other knee, sending the guy flying up. Like a hammer striking a nail, Lincoln nailed him in the chest, sending him down to the ground. Turning around, another guy rushed at him with a flurry of fists. Blocking each punch with his forearms, he leaned to the side, letting one punch sail through the empty space. With one punch, the punk disappeared into the crowd.**

"How?!" Lynn Jr. shouted. "He couldn't even take three people in a fight, now he practically soloing the whole school?!"

 **PUNCH! POW! KICK! BLAM!**

 **No matter how many people knocked down, more people were coming.**

 **Dodging another punch, Lincoln grabbed the guy's wrist and spun him around, sending him crashing into a nearby crowd. Turning around, he got punched in the gut. Gritting his teeth, he stamped on the guy's foot. As the guy screamed, Lincoln punched him in the gut.**

 **Before he could breath, someone punched him in the face, making him stumble back. Collecting himself and feeling his back collide with two bodies, he quickly drove his elbows back, feeling them land against gut and forcing two people to lean forward. Lincoln brought his two fists, smashing them into their faces.**

 **As the two guys fell back, someone kicked him forwards. His arms windmilled, trying to keep his balance, but to no avail. Falling forward, he tried to get up, only to get swarmed by all the Benvie Boys still standing. They dogpiled him, getting a few sicker punches in the process. The pile got bigger and bigger, more and more people joining.**

Everyone gasped, sitting a bit closer to the edge, hoping that alternate Lincoln would make it out okay.

" **WE GOT HIM!" One of them shouted. Then… the pile began to move.**

" **RAHHH!" Lincoln uppercutted the whole group, sending everyone flying.**

"...He soloed the entire school." Lincoln gasped.

"Well, at least it's getting interesting now." Lynn Jr. admitted.

 **His shoulders slumped, he took a couple of deep breaths to get his heart rate down. His eyes looked around, trying to find someone that looked conscious enough for him to question. Spotting one such person, he walked over and grabbed the person by the shirt, making the guy look a little green. Lifting the person up, he frowned.**

" **WHERE'S CHANDLER?!"**

 **The punk shivered. "Urk… He's on the roof… URP!"**

 **He barfed, making Lincoln let go and grimace.**

"Oh come on, he didn't punch you that bad!" Lynn Jr. shouted at the wimp.

"He uppercutted the group of them right off, Lynn. Pretty sure that's very hard." Luna argued.

" **Gross." He remarked before continuing on his way. Just as he reached the staircase to the roof, one last goon stood in the way.**

" **NOT SO FAST, LOUD! YOU'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME FIRST!"**

 **Lincoln glared out of the way.**

 **Perhaps we can solve this non-violently.**

 **I'm going to **** your **** and **** **** **** **** until you can only **** sideways! ****!**

 **Beat up the goon offscreen**

"Dang...Harsh." Luan chuckled.

"What was the red option saying?" Lincoln asked, only for everyone to shrug.

 **Lincoln ran up the stairs, his eyes dead set on the end. As the locked door came closer, he leveled his shoulder and charged. Busting through the door, he looked up and shouted!**

" **MOLLIE!"**

" **LINCOLN!" Mollie said, chained to a raised bar. "HELP! THIS SUCKS!"**

"Understatement of the century." Lori remarked.

" **Took you long enough." A taller, more sauve version of Chandler wearing sunglasses and cargo pants commented.**

" **LET HER GO, CHANDLER!" Lincoln shouted as he dramatically swept his arm to the side. "IT'S OVER! I'VE BEATEN ALL YOUR GOONS!"**

" **So…" Chandler smirked as he crossed his arms, appraising Lincoln and finding him lacking. "This is the best St. Joel could muster?"**

 **Lincoln took up a fighting stance. "That's not what your mom said last night!"**

 **Chandler frowned, before taking off his sunglasses and putting them away, getting into a fighting stance. "Just for that, I'm going to kill you."**

 **As the two faced each other, the clouds overhead finally started to drop rain. The first drop fell to the ground in between the two. It splashed.**

 **FIGHT!**

"And now it's a fighting game." Lincoln commented.

"Wasn't it already one of your fighting games before?" Luna asked, before Lincoln shook his head.

"Nah, before that, it was a side scroller beat-em-up. There's a difference."

"Nerd." Lynn scoffed.

 **Lincoln and Chandler shot forward, their fists meeting in the middle. They stayed like that, gritting their teeth as they tried to overpower the other. In a flash, their other fists collided with each other. The two stared at each other.**

 **Then their fists left each other, only to collide again, and again, and again! Sprays of rain marking their movement as they tried to overpower the other with the sheer speed of their fists. Their fists slammed against each other again, again, AGAIN!**

"Or this just became anime." Lincoln amended.

 **Then Lincoln punched Chandler in the face, Chandler's own punch sliding past his cheek.**

 **Chandler flew through the air, landing on the ground with a sickening crack.**

" **Wow…" Mollie said. Lincoln nodded. Did he break something?**

 **Chandler got up, snarling as he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a pair of now broken sunglasses. As if just to mock him further, one of the lenses fell out. Chandler got up before tossing the sunglasses away like garbage.**

" **Alright, Loud. You're good. BUT NOW I'M SERIOUS!" With that, Chandler took up another stance, his arms loose and his feet were bouncing.**

 **Then he shot forward, faster than Lincoln could react, a boot colliding with Lincoln's face.**

 **This time, Lincoln was sent flying, landing on the ground and slid a few inches. Shaking his head, he looked around and didn't see Chandler. Suddenly getting a feeling in his gut, he looked up and quickly rolled away, scant moments before Chandler's foot smashed the ground where his face was.**

 **Rolling into a crouch, Lincoln tried to sweep the leg, only for Chandler to backflip over it. In slow motion, Lincoln watched as Chandler grinned. Chandler curled into a ball, before his feet shot out, catching Lincoln in the chest.**

"Kung-fu film?" Lincoln corrected, before shrugging. "Okay, it's something."

 **Lincoln landed next to Mollie. Lincoln looked over and smiled shakily. "Hey."**

 **Mollie looked at him slightly concerned. "Hey, are you okay? He looks like he's beating you now."**

 **Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, he's actually kind of tough. Don't worry, though. I can still take him."**

"Are you sure this is the time to have a conversation?" Lori asked.

Luna shrugged. "At least that Chandler bloke is letting him talk. Pretty sure he could have continued kicking him at that time."

 **With that, Lincoln pushed himself off the way and charged at Chandler. Jumping at Chandler, he threw a punch at Chandler's head, who dodged it completely. Suddenly, Lincoln expelled some saliva as Chandler kneed him in the chest.**

 **Staggered, Lincoln was left wide opened.**

 **Knee! Jab! Straight! Knee! Uppercut! Gut punch! Left hook! Right hook!**

Lincoln and his sisters grimaced as they winced at every blow.

 **With a final grin, Chandler roundhouse kicked Lincoln in the face, lightning splitting the sky as Lincoln landed on the ground.**

 **To Mollie's horror, Lincoln laid there, barely able to get up, the only movement coming from his chest.**

 **On Lincoln's end, he didn't feel great. The fight with Chandler's goons had taken a lot more out of him than he thought. His entire body was screaming at him to rest, just close his eyes. Just rest…**

" **Lincoln…"**

 **Just go to sleep…**

" **Lincoln!"**

 **You can't fight anymore…**

 **Mollie screamed. "LINCOLN!"**

"Come on, Lincoln!" Lori said. "Fight for your sorta-crush!"

 **Lincoln's eyes shot open. LIKE HECK HE CAN'T!**

 **Gritting his teeth, he forced his body up. Slowly, surely, like the rain dripping down his face, he found his feet and stood up. Chandler whistled.**

" **Well then… At least I have someone practice this against."**

 **As Chandler got back into his stance, a chill went down Lincoln's spine. This was it. Chandler's super move!**

 **Lincoln gritted his teeth as he got into his own stance. For Mollie, he can't lose. HE WON'T LOSE!**

" **TAKE THIS!" Chandler shouted, rushing at Lincoln with a flurry of kicks so fast, it was like Chandler had suddenly grow more feet to kick Lincoln with. Lincoln stood tall, staring at the storm of kicks that came closer...closer…**

 **NOW!**

 **Rushing forward, Lincoln parried one kick, then another, then another. Like a blocking machine, Lincoln parried one kick after another. Chandler saw this and increased the speed of his kicks, only for Lincoln to increase the speed of his parries. The stalemate lasted until…**

Lincoln's jaw dropped. "He just recreated Evo #37…"

Everyone looked at him weirdly.

"What's Evo #37?" Luan asked.

"Well, it's this big fighting game tournament moment where Daigo Umehara played Justin Wong in Street Fighter: Third Strike, and during the last round-"

"Okay, forget we asked. I mean, it's just some dumb tournament in someone's basement, how big could it be?" Lynn Jr. scoffed, making Lincoln seethe.

"Lynn, last year, Evo had 10k attendees and was hosted at Mandalay Palace in Las Vegas."

Before Lynn Jr. could retort, Lori looked over. "Wait, Mandalay Palace? The 43 floor luxury floor and casino? They held the event there?"

Lincoln nodded.

Luna whistled. "That's pretty big for someone's basement."

 **SMASH!**

"Oh right, fight still happening."

 **Chandler tried to drop his heel on the crown of Lincoln's head, only to miss and embed his foot in the ground. He tried to pull his foot, even holding his thigh and pulling it out that way, only to no avail. This could be a problem.**

" **Ahem."**

 **Chandler looked over to see Lincoln ready to punch him in the face. The rain on Chandler's face became mixed with sweat.**

" **M-Mercy."**

 **Lincoln shook his head.**

" **No."**

 **With that, Lincoln punched Chandler in the face. The blow addled Chandler's wits, leaving him wide open. The barrage of punches and kicks was so brutal, even Mollie looked on with some sympathy.**

 **PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH KICK KICK KICK**

 **As Chandler leaned forward, utterly beat up, Lincoln's left fist shivered before he delivered a devastating gut punch. Spittle shot out of Chandler's mouth, his head leaning forward and exposing his chin. Lincoln reared back his right fist before punching Chandler right in the chin. With a savage roar, Lincoln uppercutted the Benvie Boys' leader, sending him flying off the roof of the building and into the nearby woods.**

 **64 HITS! ULTRA COMBOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

"Dude…"

 **Forcing himself not to collapse, he made his way over to Mollie, who was staring at him in barely disguised awe.**

" **Hey." "Hey."**

" **You know… I didn't know who was going to rescue me…" Mollie admitted before smiling up at Lincoln. "But I kinda hoped it was you, Lincoln."**

 **Lincoln smiled as he broke the restraints, setting Mollie free, before leaning over. "I like you, Mollie. We should go out some time. Also, you wanna play the drums in my band?"**

 **Mollie grinned. "OH YES!"**

 **With that, the two made out in the rain.**

"...Well, that was something." Lincoln commented.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Lynn Jr. shouted as she jumped up. "WITH THE PUNCHING, KICKING, THE 'IS THIS THE BEST THAT ST. JOEL COULD MUSTER?' TO THE 'THAT WAS NOT WHAT YOUR MOM SAID LAST NIGHT!', AND THE **ULTRA COMBOOOOOOO! WOOO!** "

Lynn Jr. fell back, breathing hard from her burst of excitement. Luan looked at Lynn with a quirked eyebrow. "Did you get it all out?"

Lynn Jr. nodded before turning to Lincoln. "Hey, you think I can borrow some of those fighting games you got?"

"We'll see…" Lincoln said, making a note to be out of the house whenever Lynn Jr. wanted to spar.

"THAT WAS A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS!" Luna shouted as she stood up, startling everyone as they scrambled back.

"Luna? Are you okay?" Lori asked, only to regret it as Luna turned to face her.

"NO, I'M NOT OKAY! TABBY SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH LINCOLN! THEY WERE PERFECT TOGETHER! I JUST CAN'T!"

"Luna!" Lori shouted as she got up and shook Luna her by the shoulders. After a few shakes, Luna shook her head and took a couple of deep breaths.

"S-Sorry, dudes. I don't know what came over me. I mean, I just thought that they seemed to make more sense to me."

"That makes sense." Lynn Jr. said. "I mean, what did Mollie and Lincoln have in that one? Like a class together, and that's enough to make out in the rain?"

Luan nodded. "Yeah, like 'Oh, Lincoln! I fell in love with you the moment you drew that sheep!'"

Luna turned to Lori. "Guess I know how you feel when girls other than Ronnie talk to Lincoln."

Lori scoffed. "Please, don't be ridiculous. I'm nowhere as extreme as you."

Luna got an idea for a joke. "So...Lincoln?"

"Yeah, Luan?" Lincoln didn't like Luan's tone.

"I heard you've been hanging out with a new girl. What's her name?"

Luna and Lynn Jr. couldn't help but grin wolfishly as they heard that. Lincoln started sweating. "Well...Her name's…"

" _ **WHAT?!"**_ Lori glared at Lincoln, making everyone else backup and then so. Lori cleared her throat. "Sorry, don't know what came over me."

Lincoln then backed up some more. "Well, I gotta go now to Clyde's. That was...something, I guess."

Everyone said their goodbyes as started to leave before Lincoln noticed Luna still staying. "Luna, you still here?"

Luna nodded. "I wanna watch a bit more. Do you know how to turn it off when you're done?"

 **The Following Morning**

Luna's face was in her cereal. Lincoln came over, looking concerned.

"Luna?" Lincoln asked. "Are you okay?"

Luna looked up, bits of milk and flakes falling from her face. "Maybe we should have…"

"What?"

"MAYBE WE SHOULD!" With that, Luna face planted into her breakfast again.

"..." Lincoln, at that point, just readjusted Luna's head so that she wasn't completely face down, before sitting down and eating his breakfast.

* * *

Inspiration: Scott Pilgrim vs The World


	12. Are We Stars - The Class

_Maybe we should have/Maybe we should/And Now/I should say goodbye…_

Lincoln looked up from his comic book as Luna finished the newest song that she had written, the twang of her acoustic guitar echoing throughout the empty house. A few moments passed before sounds could be heard from Lisa's lab. Lincoln turned back, before speaking to the camera.

"So yeah, apparently in that dimension, the alternate me and Tabby met up again as adults. Apparently, I was dating Ronnie Ann at the time, yet alternate Tabby still had feelings for me. Three guess what happened between me and alternate, and two of them don't count. It's actually kind of heartbreaking…" Lincoln paused.

"And then alternate me then went off and fought Ronnie Ann's fourth evil ex, who was a half-ninja roller derby girl that happened during college… That's pretty weird."

After that little explanatory monologue, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Lincoln said as he got up from his chair and walked over to the door. Opening it up, he looked at the two people standing at the door. He blinked, before smiling.

"Hey, Tabby!" Lincoln greeted.

"Sup, Linc?" Tabby greeted back.

Lincoln looked back at the other person standing. "And...Sam, right?"

The blond teenager with a magenta streak in her hair nodded as she looked at Lincoln. "Yeah. And you're...Lincoln, right? Luna's little brother?"

Lincoln nodded. "Yep. Guess you're here to see Luna?"

As the two nodded their heads, Lincoln looked back up the stairs, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "LUNA! SAM AND TABBY ARE HERE TO SEE YOU!"

"COOL, BRO! GO AHEAD AND SEND THEM UP!"

"Alright, come on in, but wipe your feet though. We just vacuumed."

After Sam and Tabby did so and walked up the stairs, Lincoln sat back in the chair continued reading his comic. After a while, he closed the comic book and sighed. "Man, the worst part of each comic is waiting for the next issue."

Lincoln got up and started to climb up the stairs before seeing Tabby stop climbing down herself.

Lincoln offered a sad smile. "Going so soon?"

Tabby shook her head. "Nah, was going to ask you if you wanted to join everyone else in that alternate reality watching business."

"Oh, Luna told you about that?"

Tabby leaned against the wall. "Totally, and her and Sam want to try and get some more inspiration from it. I mean, you have heard it, right?"

Lincoln nodded. "She just finished singing it by the time you guys got here."

Tabby played with her pockets. "I mean, it's great," "Definitely." "It's just a kind of a downer and both of them are going to be playing a gig so they wanted to come with something for an opener."

"Makes sense." Lincoln agreed.

"By the way," Tabby said, making Lincoln look back at Tabby. "How is it?"

The white haired boy looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, what does it feel like, seeing all these different versions of you? You feel anything?"

He paused for a moment, considering what he wanted to say.

"Well, it's weird. I won't lie, it's weird seeing my face and body doing some crazy thing on screen, but as far as I'm concerned, they're not really me. Just alternate versions of me."

"Huh." Tabby said, looking introspective.

"Luna told you about the dimension where you were a daughter of a British Colonial Mayor from Port Royal, didn't she?"

Tabby looked a little weirded out at that. "I gotta admit, I'm still not sure how to take that."

Lincoln shrugged. "You get used to it. Besides, you might get to see a version of yourself that became a rockstar."

Tabby frowned. "Are you saying that me becoming a rockstar is a longshot?"

Lincoln immediately starting sweating. "WHAT? No no no, I didn't mean it like that, I mean it like-"

"He he, don't blow a gasket, Linc." Tabby giggled. "I know what you mean, I was just messing you. Now come on, they might start the show without us!"

The two kids walked back to Lisa's room, where Luna and Sam had paper and pencils out while Lisa was fiddling around with the machine.

"Hey, bro!" Luna greeted as he and Sam scooted over to make room for Tabby and Lincoln. "Check it out, Lisa apparently been upgrading the machine."

"Again, thanks for letting me and Tabby see this thing in action, Lisa." Sam said graciously.

"Well, I figured that you request would be a perfect way to think out the new feature on machine." Lisa responded as she tightened a screw. Wiping some sweat from her brow, she checked it over before nodding to herself and getting up.

"So what's the new feature?" Lincoln said. "Is it a search engine?"

"...How astute an observation." Lisa admitted as Lincoln grinned.

"Hey, Luna. When you guys are done, you mind if I look through some universes of my own?" Lincoln asked.

"Sure, bro. Why?"

Lisa hmph'd. "Probably to search for an universe where he gets to live out his fantasy as a superhero. Honestly, I don't see why you continue to spend your money on those kind of things?"

Before Lincoln could retort, Tabby grinned. "So, fancy yourself with muscles and a cape, Lincoln?"

Lincoln blushed red. Sam looked at Tabby annoyed. "Don't do that."

"...Let's just start the thing." Lincoln asked.

"Very well, putting in music-" "Rock." "Rock music and…"

The screen shifted.

" **Can you believe this place?" A crew member said to another member as he leaned against the wall of a really fancy hallway of some hotel as a couple of hotel workers in some neat and tidy uniforms passed by. Next to them, two guards stood with their arms crossed, ready to bar entry to anyone unauthorized. "I've been to some pretty swank places before, and this place is definitely up there!"**

" **Yeah, Thailand is beautiful, man! And I do mean beau-ti-ful." The crew member grinned. The other guy scoffed.**

"...We're in Thailand?" Tabby blinked and looked closely. "Doesn't look like Thailand."

"What were you even expecting?" Lincoln asked.

Tabby shrugged. "I don't know, something."

Lisa rubbed her chin. "Perhaps if Leni was here, she could tell about the fashion and where it probably comes from."

Sam looked at Luna.

"Sometimes, it takes a few minutes for the scene to actually warm up."

Sam nodded. "Ah.

" **Just don't overdo it like Doug. Last I heard, he's still sleeping the hangover off."**

" **GARGH!"**

 **The two jumped as the doors from one room slammed themselves open, and one man stomped out. He looked like a stereotypical hipster, with unlaced boots, designer jeans that were rolled up to mid calf, a white t-shirt under a red shiny jacket, and a mustache and trimmed beard with his hair tied into a man-bun. He stomped towards the stairs as an older woman walked briskly towards him.**

"...Is it just me, or does that guy look like a wanker?" Tabby asked.

"While that is slightly rude, I am hesitant to say that it is completely inaccurate." Lisa hedged.

"Yep." "Yeah." "Definitely."

" **Jordan! Come on!"**

" **I appreciate it, Dexi, but I don't want to hear it, or even take another look at that **** CAKE!" Jordan shouted. "JUST ANOTHER REMINDER FROM MY ***HOLE FATHER! I CAN LITERALLY HEAR HIM SAYING 'I OWN YOU, *****!'" Jordan said as he walked upstairs.**

"And he's got daddy issues… Is this supposed to be this Lincoln?" Sam asked.

"Gosh, I hope not." Lincoln admitted.

"While majority of the universes we have witnessed usually has the alternate Lincoln retain his identity and looks for the most part, we shouldn't discount the possibility that your counterpart in this universe might look completely different from you." Lisa lectured.

Tabby looked at Lincoln before shaking her head. "No offense, Lincoln. But I honestly don't think you can pull off a manbun."

Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I don't think so either."

 **Dexi, Jordan Cross' manager, shook her head before following up the stairs. The two crew members looked at each other.**

" **Well, there goes the birthday boy." One of them commented. The other rubbed his scalp.**

" **Gee, you think after he went to that famous psychiatrist for his drinking problem, he would then ask for help on his daddy issues."**

 **The other guy shrugged. "Well, can you blame him? Doubt that daddy would be on his mind when he saw his girlfriend accidentally fall to her death from his penthouse."**

Everyone gasped.

"Oh no." Luna said, Sam nodding as her enthusiasm suddenly dropped.

"Drinking problem… Common coping mechanism." Lisa noted.

 **His friend nodded. "Yeah, probably messed him up real good."**

" **Jordan, please hold on." Dexi begged. Jordan growled before gesturing to the nearby kitchen door. Both of them went through and asked all the remaining crew members.**

" **Jordan… I'm going to be honest with you. That was some scene that you caused out there." Jordan frowned but kept his quiet.**

" **Even if it was some secret message from your father, I doubt that the people that were in that room had anything to do with it. And I doubt that it excuses you from acting the way you did. It doesn't do anything good for your image."**

 **The indie rockstar took a few deep breaths, before nodding. "Fine, but not now. I'm still a little pissed."**

"Seriously, how bad is his relationship with his dad if even a simple cake is enough to set him off?" Lincoln asked.

"Has to be pretty bad." Sam commented.

"Tell me about it." Tabby said.

 **With that, Jordan walked out of the kitchen and nearly bumped into a crewmember.**

" **Sorry." The man said. Jordan waved him off as he continued towards the recording station, expertly weaving past all the other crew members and wires that were scattered all over the floor..**

" **Hey!" He said to the director, who turned to give a perfunctory nod before turning back to the console. "Do you have a tune yet?"**

" **Sorry, Jordan." The director said. "I just don't think that the beat is good yet."**

 **Jordan resisted the urge to sigh loudly. "You serious? You've been at this for so long."**

 **The director shrugged. "Well, you're clearly not responding to it."**

"Of course, maybe that also explains his horrible attitude." Luna observed.

"I do think that he did show some signs of a need for control. With that, I would hypothesize that his father controlled a lot of his life, and so he seeks whatever control he can get." Lisa guessed.

Sam grimaced. "Never really had a chance for a normal life, huh?"

 **The indie rocker shook his head and was about to leave before noticing his guitarist giving a look.**

' **Still hung up on Hannah, aren't you, Heidi?'**

 **With a grumble, Jordan left the area and climbed up the nearby stairs. On the upper floor, there was a giant glass box with grass on the ground. Inside it, people talked and took a couple of drags on their cigarettes. Jordan went inside, before asking for a smoke.**

"Such a lovely place, and they use it for a smoking room…" Lisa groaned. "What a waste."

"Yeah." "Totally."

 **After a couple of minutes, one of the recording crew came up and came through the door. "Yo, Jordan! I think you might want to hear this!"**

 **Jordan took one last drag on his cigarette and tossed it in a nearby trash can. "Alright. This better be good."**

 **The indie rocker followed the crew member down the stairs, where he could already hear the pounding. Standing there and letting the music wash over him, Jordan couldn't help but nod his head, an actual smile blooming on his lips. "Yeah...YEAH! That's it! Come on, keep it there!"**

"Pretty good beat." Sam commented.

"Yeah, maybe we can use it for a bass line?" Luna suggested.

 **Jordan jogged over to the recording booth, nearly throwing open the door before going inside. As the sound became muffled, he looked at the microphone that was placed before him. Walking up to it, he took a deep breath and let the music cleanse him, every one of his worries just leaving his mind.**

 _ **Forget dad, forget Hannah… You live for this moment, right here and right now.**_

 **With that, he started to sing.**

 **There's a place underground I,  
I go to hide my fears away,  
in the electric glowing  
of an eternal day cause you,  
you left for the shadows without me.  
Yeah, you didn't even say goodbye. Didn't have a chance to die by your side.**

 **The man with a man-bun paused as he sang that last line, a image of Hannah appearing in his head. He shook his head. Dang it, not now! He forced himself forward.**

"Is it supposed to do that?" Tabby asked, seeing how a face of another person appeared on the screen before it flashed back to Jordan.

Lisa nodded. "It is part of the flashback mechanic, so that we can understand what is going on without needing to rewind the scene."

"Your sister thinks of everything." Tabby whispered to Lincoln.

"Yeah, I know."

 **Now are we stars  
just cause we're millions miles away  
from each other?  
Or are we just pilgrims who have lost their way?  
Are we stars?  
**

 **Jordan took another deep breath, closing his eyes as he forced himself deeper into the music.**

Luna looked over at Sam. Both of them had the same look of apprehension on their face.

 **Will I see you down there? Will you dance with me again?  
Or will you hide your face  
and leave me to remain alone in the shadows without you?  
Cause I didn't get to say goodbye,  
I didn't get a chance to cry at your grave.**

 _ **Hannah…**_ **Just take it home now.**

 **Now are we stars  
just cause we're millions miles away  
from each other?  
Or are we just pilgrims who have lost their way?**

 **Are we stars?..**

" **CUT! Great work, Jordan!"**

 **Hearing that, Jordan opened his eyes, noting his hands were wrapped around the mike stand. Letting go, he left the recording booth and went over to the director, ignoring the applause from the recording crew.**

"Dang it. We can't use this." Luna sighed as she set the notebook aside.

"I feel like such a leech already." Sam admitted as well.

Lisa, Tabby and Lincoln looked at each other, knowing what the two musicians were getting at. The lyrics already seemed to be made with Hannah in mind…

"Maybe we should just call it for now and look for another?" Sam suggested.

"Wait, maybe we should wait for another song. They all can't be for Hannah." Tabby suggested.

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, you never know what you're going to get in these things."

" **Jordan, marvelous work! That gave me chills!" The director praised. Jordan rubbed the back of his neck.**

" **Hey…" Jordan said. "I'm gonna go take a break, okay?"**

" **Yeah, sure. Just be back, alright? Still got some songs. By the way, you seen the guy that helped mix this? Probably a new guy, since I haven't seen him before."**

 **Jordan shrugged as he walked away. "Don't know about any new hires."**

 **Walking back up the steps, he paused as he saw the two bodyguards that were supposed to be guarding his room to be hurrying back into position. He let them get into position and settle in before he stormed over. The two guards looked up and paled as they saw Jordan coming close.**

" **What were you doing?"**

" **Mr. Cross-" "Jordan, Mr. Cross is the ***hole that calls himself my dad." "Mr. Jordan, we were just-"**

" _ **You always put words in my mouth and always stumbling right behind me when I'm talking when I'm trying to talk!"**_

"...What?"

Lincoln blinked.

" **Hey, shut up. Do you hear that?" Jordan said as he hushed the two bodyguards.**

" _ **I never said that! NEVER, HANNAH! Selective hearing, that's your problem!"**_

" **Sir?" One of the bodyguards asked, before Jordan hushed him again.**

" _ **You ****hole! I'm not some googly-eyed groupie, Jordan! I have a 'glamourous, globetrotting career' just like you!"**_

"...Okay, what was Hannah's relationship with Jordan like?" Tabby asked.

"Considering Jordan's untreated issues and the conversation that's happening now, it sounds like it had been deteriorating for quite a while."

 **Jordan started to sweat. It was coming from his room…**

" _ **But that doesn't mean I hump every god**** underwear model I meet at an airplane toilet like a god**** textbook cliche!"**_

"...What a wanker." Luna said.

" **You know what? You guys did a great job, just go and take a break, you deserve it!" Jordan said quickly as he tried to push the guards out of the way.**

" _ **...Why? Why do you do this? Who the **** do you think you are?!"**_

" **Sir, are you sure?"**

" _ **You don't do that! Not to me! NOT TO ME!"**_

" **YEAH, SURE! NOW GO!"**

" _ **DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"**_

" **Okay, sir." The two guards left.**

"This is starting to get really bad." Sam noticed.

" _ **Oh...Of course. That would be your father's domain."**_

 **Jordan looked around as he opened the door.**

" _ **Shut up! SHUT UP!"**_

" _ **Hey, what are you doing?! Stop that! NO!"**_

The screen changed.

 _ **His hands pushed Hannah back. Her back met the railing. Her eyes widen with horror as she starts falling back. His hands try to grab for her, try to grab for anything.**_

 _ **It was useless.**_

" **AGHHH!-"**

 **Rushing over, Jordan frantically looked over the laptop, before clicking on the stop button. Immediately, Hannah's scream was silenced, plunging the room back into an uneasy peace. All the while, Jordan stared at the laptop.**

The room was silent.

"Oh my god."

" **H-How? How did this get here? Why was it playing? HOW DOES THIS THING EVEN EXIST?"**

 **Jordan thought about it, thought about it long and hard.**

" **Blackmail. That has to be it."**

 **Yanking the usb drive out of the laptop, he forced to take a few breaths. "Come on, Jordan. Calm down, calm down. You're fine, you're still in the clear. No one heard, no one knows. Play it cool, just get through the rest of the day, then get rid of this thing for good. FOR GOOD!"**

 **Jordan looked up at the mirror. "Okay, J-"**

 **Someone was sitting in the chair behind him. Jordan turned around, his eyes widening. It was one of his entourage, though he didn't look familiar.**

 **And he had a gun.**

Everyone looked at Lincoln, who was becoming pale at the sight of an older version of him.

 **Jordan broke out in a sweat. "W-Who are you?"**

 **The man was still, like he was carved from stone. "That isn't the right question." He said as he aimed the gun right at Jordan.**

 **Immediately, Jordan Cross knew who the man was.**

" **The Highmoores. They sent you, didn't they? L-Look, whatever they're paying you, I will double it, promise!"**

 **The man was unmoved. "It doesn't work that way. Not here."**

 **Jordan swallowed, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way out.**

" **Wa-wa-wait, look, I didn't mean to, you know? I was drunk, I snapped! The window, I didn't think…"**

 **Even as he racked his brain, nothing came out. Nothing.**

" **But it happened." Jordan forced himself to look at the man in the chair. He might as well have been talking to a statue.**

" **So, do I deserve to die because I made some stupid mistake? Or because I tried to get away with it?"**

 **The man spoke in his monotone voice. "Either way, it won't make a difference."**

 **Jordan looked at the man in horror, before holding out his hand, in a vain hope of warding the possible bullets. He shrunk under the stone cold gaze, his knees giving out as he knelt on the ground. He could no longer look at the man and simply looked at the pattern of the wood flooring.**

" **Please, please, don't...don't, man, okay?"**

 **He wanted to give up. There was no moving the man. Yet he wanted to live. He still wanted to live. He still had so much to do, so much still to accomplish! He couldn't die now, he can't die now!**

" **Just, just don't. You'll regret it, okay?" He shook his head to rid himself of his tears. "Look, I'm only an artist, all right? Why don't you go kill some real bad guys, huh?!"**

 **Silence. The musician thought of one last card to play. His stomach churned as he thought of needing** _ **his**_ **help again, but his mind forced himself to play the card.**

" **Oh, come on, okay? Come on! Think, man! You think my father is going to let this slide? Oh, he...he'll know, all right? He'll find you, okay? And when he finds you, you'll know the kind of man he is. Trust me, I know…"**

 **Still nothing.**

" **COME ON, MAN! SAY SOMETHING!"**

" **Don't worry, Mr. Cross." The man said as he aimed his gun. Jordan Cross took a deep breath.**

" **Your lawyer will be accompanying you shortly."**

 **BA-**

Lincoln smashed the off button, the sound of a gun firing shorting out into nothing. The white haired boy looked back at the other people with him. Luna and Lisa looked a little sick. Sam was covering her mouth with her hands, eyes wide. Tabby shut her eyes tightly and clamped her hands over her ears.

"...You guys want to take a break?"

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, this feels sloppy. Still, it was supposed to be an explanation for the last chapter and what Luna's last words were supposed to mean, and it kinda ballooned from there.**

 **Next chapter will definitely be more proper.**


	13. Erma

Wow, this really took a lot from me to complete. No joke, the actual dimensional thing was simple, but the actual reacting from the Loud House is taking a lot more. And I'm realizing that is probably because of two things.

One, the Loud House isn't grabbing me as much. Maybe I'm finally hitting the tired mark, but the thought of writing for the fandom is doing much for me.

Two, I reached the problem that all authors of any 'react' stories have. Eventually the characters stop that visceral reaction. Eventually, you have to start writing them as if they had seen this all before because it wouldn't feel natural, and part of the fun of writing a react goes away.

Anyways, I'm think about writing something else for a bit. When I come back, I'll continue the 'Luna and Sam seek inspiration, and I already have the title for that chapter.

Rock Geeks

Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House.

* * *

Luna burst through the door, setting her stuff down on the ground.

"Hey Ma! Hey Pa! GOTTA GO!"

"Uh...hi, Luna…"

With that, she ran up the stairs and looked through Lisa's door.

"Hey dudes! Did I miss anything?"

"No, you're just in time, Luna." Luan said with the rest of the siblings nodding. "You could almost say that you were going 'Luna'crous speed, eh?"

Everyone groaned at that pun.

"Okay, everyone, settle down." Lincoln said, standing in front of his sisters. "As you know, we are currently facing a serious problem… WE DO NOT HAVE COSTUME IDEAS FOR HALLOWEEN!"

Everyone gasped.

"Gasp, inconceivable." Lucy shook her head.

Lola looked at everyone. "You know, my idea is still open."

"No offense, Lola." Lori said. "But literally no one wants to be 'Princess Lola and her royal entourage.'"

Luan nodded. "I ain't playing no fool."

"Yeah, and I'm not playing your body double!" Lana added.

Lola huffed.

Lincoln nodded his head. "So, I figured we go ahead and find some worlds for us to get some inspiration."

Leni's eyes gleamed. "OH! Can we go back to that world where everyone was very muscled and that Lincoln licked that cherry really weirdly?"

"..." Everyone turned to look at Leni.

"Why?" Lisa asked.

Leni smiled. "Sure, it was kind of creepy how other Lincoln played around with the cherry. But I went back and when you get past the weirdness and all the violence, everyone was just so fashionable! I just had to try to recreate all their outfits."

"...Wait, is that where you got the idea for the swiss cheese suit?" Lincoln asked.

"Is that supposed to be a suit with lots of holes in it, or an actual suit made out of swiss cheese?" Lynn Jr asked. "Because the other one sounds delicious."

Leni nodded. "Yes."

"...Let's go ahead and look for a new one." Lincoln said as he gestured to Lisa to turn the machine on.

"You know, dudes, we're probably going to be here for a while until we actually find a decent world." Luna pointed out.

"A search function would be very helpful." Lucy nodded.

"I will add that to the list of upgrades I am currently considering." Lisa confirmed as she turned on the machine.

 **Vanzilla drove down the road, with an teenage Lincoln at the wheel. He drove in silence, being the only one in the vehicle while some rock music came out of the radio. Keeping his eyes on the road, he soon spotted one specific house of the many.**

 **Slowing down, he stopped in front of the unassuming house, before taking out his phone and checking the address. Looking up, he confirmed that he was at the place. He went ahead and parked in a place where the car of the house could easily move out onto the street.**

"Is this one me as a babysitter?" Lincoln asked.

"It's a possibility." Lisa agreed.

Lynn Jr yawned. "Boring. Next one."

"Hang on." Lucy cautioned. "This is only the beginning. We should let it play a few more minutes."

Lola thought for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, pretty sure that before very crazy universe we've seen, they start off nice and normal before they go crazy."

Luan nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

 **Next, he got his backpack, opened it up, and checked off everything inside.**

" **Homework...check. Recipe book...check. Emergency numbers handwritten...check. First Aid certification and CPR certification… check. Okay, got everything."**

"Wow, Lincoln. Alternate you is taking this pretty seriously." Luna whistled.

Lori looked a little disconcerted with alternate Lincoln's level of prep. "Yeah, even I haven't prepared that hard for a client."

Luan rubbed her chin. "Maybe we should do something like that. Would really help the bottom line of our business cards."

Lisa adjusted her glasses as she agreed. "You can never be too careful."

Lana clapped her hands. "Oh, you think we got a class where we learn with those dummies?"

 **Closing the backpack and putting it on his back, he was about to leave the van when he noticed himself in the mirror. He quickly looked and checked over his complexion, his hair, his nose, and his teeth before mentally confirming to himself that everything was in place. Still one more thing…**

" **Hi...Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, I'm Lincoln Loud of Loud Babysitting. How are you?" Lincoln smiled. "Nailed it."**

Lynn Jr snickered. "Nerd."

Leni frowned at Lynn Jr. "Lincoln's not being a nerd. I had to practice in front of the mirror plenty of times to get the people's names right."

"And then you had the problem of being late." Lucy pointed out.

 **Exiting Vanzilla, he walked up to the house, and stopped in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, he also adjusted his hair one more time and rolled his neck. He exhaled.**

" **Showtime."**

 **Pressing the doorbell, he could hear the bell echo throughout the house. A couple of moments later, he could someone walking to the door. The door opened, and a blonde bearded man with glasses looked out.**

 **Lincoln saluted. "Hello, Mr. William's! Lincoln Loud from Loud Babysitting, at your service."**

"Hey, how old do you think this Lincoln is? Because he looks like he's sixteen." Luan commented.

"Huh, just realized that it's a fifty-fifty chance of Lincoln actually looking like his age." Lori admitted.

"Does that mean that we're getting to be baby sitters by eleven, since there's only Lucy?" Lola asked, already getting dollar signs in her eyes.

"I don't know." Lynn Jr said as she considered Lola. "You don't seem like the nurturing type."

"I CAN SO BE THE NURTURING TYPE!" Lola shouted before pointing at Lana. "AND STOP SNICKERING!"

 **The man smiled. "Great, you're here. Thank you for taking this job. We just moved in and didn't really know anyone in the area who could babysit."**

 **Lincoln smiled right back. "Well, allow me to say 'Welcome to the neighborhood.' Mind telling me where you planning to take Mrs. Williams?"**

" **Please call me Sam." Sam said.**

 **Sam Williams...Why did that name sound familiar?**

Lucy gasped. "Gasp! Sam Williams?"

"You know him?" Lincoln asked.

"One of the best horror writers in the world right now." Lucy explained. "I am seething with envy right now."

" **Let's not make things too formal. And I've been planning to take the wife out to this Japanese restaurant out on Elms Street. Wife has been feeling a little homesick."**

 **Lincoln thought for a moment as he recalled the location. "Elms Street… You mean Tokyo Bar? Talking as an American who's never been to Japan, I have to say that their Katsudon is pretty good."**

"What's Katsudon?" Luna asked.

"I don't know, but it sounds good." Lana admitted, licking her lips.

"Got it." Lori said as she typed it in her phone. "It's deep fried pork cutlet?"

Leni shivered. "Oh...deep fried?"

"Sounds amazing." Lynn Jr admitted.

" **You don't say… Oh yeah, come on in. Shouldn't leave you outside for so long." Sam said, opening the door wider to welcome Lincoln inside.**

 **Just as Lincoln was about to walk inside, his eyes happened to catch a glance of Sam's feet, and how he wasn't wearing any shoes at the moment. Stepping inside the house, he looked to the side and saw a place where all the shoes were placed. Taking off his own shoes, he set them aside as he looked around the house.**

 **All in all, nothing seemed to be out of place. The whole house looked like a regular suburban home, nothing that suggested that people like the Fox Quintuplets.**

 **He shivered at that memory. Great time for Lynn to be out of town on that day.**

"Wait, they should be eleven by that time, and they still need a babysitter?!" Luan shivered in fear.

"Even I'm not that willing to take care of them when they're that old." Lynn Jr admitted.

" **Honey!" Sam called out. "The babysitter came!"**

" **Coming!" Someone said before Mrs. Williams came out.**

' **Why does Mrs. Williams look like she came out of one of Lucy's Japanese horror films?' Lincoln thought to himself as he tried not to look over Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Williams came up to his height, wearing a plain white dress that contrasted heavily with her gray skin tone and had black hair that covered her eyes that went down to the small of her back. As soon as the woman saw Lincoln through his hair, she smiled and walked up to him.**

Lucy looked herself over.

"Looks like Lucy found her halloween costume." Lola sighed. "NOW SHOW ME MINE!"

" **You must be Lincoln." She greeted as she held out her hand. "I'm Emiko, by the way."**

" **The pleasure is all mine." Lincoln grasped the woman's hand and shook it, pointedly ignoring how it was cold to the touch. "So if you don't mind me asking, where is Erma?"**

 **Sam and Emiko exchanged a look, before Sam gestured with his head to follow him. While Emiko stayed behind near the door, the two men crept over to the kitchen area. Standing behind the corner, Sam gestured, letting Lincoln lean over and catch a peek of Erma.**

 **There, sitting at the table and playing with a homemade doll, sat a miniature version of Emiko, only her black hair covered her entire face and looked long enough to go down to her feet.**

"Aww, she seems nice." Leni admitted. "Actually, she kind of reminds me of you, Lucy."

"Rule one of alternate dimensions, my dear Leni." Lisa warned. "Things are never as they seem."

"Got that right." Lori said as she repressed a shiver. "I mean, don't you guys literally get the chills just looking at her.

A couple of affirmatives came out of the mouths of the others.

"I don't." Lucy disagreed.

"Pretty sure you don't count." Lynn Jr. responded.

 **Lincoln looked back at Sam as the two of them walked back. "She really takes after her mother, huh?"**

 **Sam chuckled. "You have no idea."**

 **As the two men came back to the door, Emiko came over and dropped a twenty and a ten into Lincoln's hand as Sam tied his shoes. "I believe that should cover everything for pizza."**

 **Lincoln nodded as he pocketed the money. "Okay, anything else I should know?"**

" **Well…" Sam and Emiko looked at each other before Sam put a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "Feel free to call us if you feel like taking care of Erma is too much."**

"...Okay, that is a serious red light." Luna said.

"Practically bright red." Luan agreed.

 **Lincoln smiled confidently. "Mr. Williams, no offense, but no member of Loud Babysitting has ever quit on a job, and I don't plan on being the first."**

"Maybe you should still ask why you think that of your kid?" Lincoln asked rhetorically.

 **Instead of being assured of his words, the couple only looked worriedly at each other before Emiko opened the door. Just before the two went out, Sam called out. "ERMA, BEHAVE YOURSELF! DON'T MESS AROUND WITH THIS BABYSITTER LIKE YOU DID THE LAST ONE!"**

' **...The last one?'**

"Hmm...Foreboding." Lucy said.

"Okay, that changes from 'red light' to 'GET OUT OF THERE NOW'." Lori groaned.

"Oh, this is going to be tough to watch." Lola said as she covered her eyes.

 **With that, the two closed the door behind them. Walking to the window, Lincoln watched as the Williams got into their car, then backed out of their driveway and drove out of sight. He turned away from the window as he began to think of how to entertain Erma until her bedtime.**

' **DON'T MESS AROUND WITH THIS BABYSITTER LIKE YOU DID THE LAST ONE!'**

 **Lincoln shook his head, trying to stop himself from pondering Mr. Williams' parting words. Walking over to the kitchen, he knocked on the entrance and waited. Hearing nothing, he remembered that Erma was probably shy.**

" **Hey, Erma. My name is Lincoln and your parents left me in charge for a while. They will be coming back, but I think we can have some fun, what do you think?"**

"Ehh… Could be a little better with the introduction." Lori judged.

"Yeah, makes you look kind of weird." Leni agreed.

Lucy looked over and saw that Lincoln was writing in a notebook. Leaning over, she noticed that he had labeled the notes 'babysitting tips.' She looked up and saw Lincoln looking back at her. He shrugged.

 **Silence. Lincoln frowned before looking around the corner. "Erma?"**

 **No one was at the table. Lincoln walked inside the room. "Erma? Are you here?"**

 **He bent down, looking underneath the table. There was nothing, and it was impeccably clean down there too. He stood up and stood there for a moment, trying to listen for anything that would indicate where Erma was. There was nothing.**

"Wow, she's practically Lucy, but creepier." Lynn Jr commented.

"Seriously, how could she be that quiet?" Lola shivered. "Make some noise, for crying out loud."

Lucy frowned. "Even I'm not sure where she went."

Lincoln looked over at Lucy, looking worried. "You sure?"

"Lincoln, despite what you think, I do not have the ability to teleport, as much as I would like to. I move around like everyone else, I just do it more quietly." Lucy said.

Lincoln looked back at the screen and paled. "What did I get myself into?"

" **Oh geez, it's like trying to find Lucy when she doesn't want to be found." Lincoln grumbled. "Okay, calm down, Lincoln. Now where would a little girl go?"**

 **Then Lincoln got the overwhelming urge to look up, an instinct honed from years of Luan's pranks. He looked up.**

 **And looked… and looked… and looked.**

 **There, crawling along the ceiling like a spider, Erma was. Lincoln stared at the little girl.**

"And there it is." Luan sighed.

"Really says a lot a"Really says a lot about us that stuff like this is hardly bothering us." Luna admitted.

"S-Someone please tell E-Erma to s-stop crawling around like a s-s-s-s-" Leni shivered.

"Spider?" Lana guested.

"SPIDER!" Leni screamed before quickly covering her eyes.

"Lincoln." Lucy leaned. "If you ever do get a client like this, don't feel afraid to call me."

 **Erma stopped, then with a sickening crack, her head turned a complete 180 and looked back at him.**

"...Correction, I demandto be the babysitter for this one." Lucy said with a grin.

 **At least that was what Lincoln thought she did, since her face was covered by her face.**

' **Oh my god...THANK GOD SHE ISN'T LANA! Oh, and she's crawling around on the ceiling...without magnets, or glue, or tape, or even handle bars. She's just crawling on the ceiling… WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT REGULAR KIDS CAN'T DO!'**

"Well, you appear to be handling yourself pretty well." Lisa commented.

"Pretty sure he's handling it better than any of us would." Luna pointed out.

 **Erma phased through the ceiling. A moment later, the entire house was plunged into darkness. Lincoln blinked, before he muffled a curse that came out of his mouth.**

 **Activating the flashlight on his phone, he ran over to the door and tried the doorknob. It didn't even budge. Just then, the TV turned on, bathing the room in an eerie glow as the screen only showed static.**

"Already, this Lincoln gets points for not acting like a character in a horror movie. 'Oh no, I better try to stay and solve the problem, rather than try escaping.'" Luan mimicked.

"Why is the door locked? Did Erma think to do that?!" Lola gulped.

 **Lincoln turned around, unsure of what he was seeing. Suddenly, there was something in the static, something that formed into Erma's shape. It slowly raised its hand up, about to press it against the glass screen.**

 **The seventeen year old turned away, looking around before spotting the kitchen. Quickly running over, he nearly slid on the smooth flooring before recovering himself. Carelessly flipping open every cabinet and drawer, he frantically looked until he spotted what he was looking for. He grabbed off the shelf and held up his flashlight to examine the item.**

 **Salt. Salt was a purifier, right? He partly remembered something about that when Lucy got really interested in being a wiccan.**

Everyone turned to Lucy. She nodded.

"Salt is indeed a purifier."

Lisa thought for a moment remembering something.

"I just remembered that in ancient times, salt was thought of as important and that evil spirits would try to get their hands on it. Therefore, everytime salt was spilled, a person would throw it over their shoulder and into the spirit's eyes, and that's where that ridiculous good luck ritual of throwing spilled salt over the shoulder came from."

Lynn Jr looked at Lisa. "That's where it came from?"

 **Suddenly, he was drawn out of his examination as he heard the rattling of something. He pointed his flashlight up. The plates were rattling, along with the pots, the pans and the silverware.**

" **Uh-oh." Just as he said that, one of the plates leapt at him.**

 **Shoving the container of salt into one of his pants pockets as deep as he could, he switched the phone to his other hand and quickly reached up and grabbed it. Gritting his teeth as his palm briefly flashed in pain, the rattling behind him quickly forced him to move. Not a second later, another plate smashed into the spot where he used to be.**

 **Seeing a way of the kitchen that wasn't connected to the living room, Lincoln raced through the room as all heck broke loose and all the kitchenware flew up into the air. Using the plate, he blocked all of the incoming spoons and forks before ducking in time for a pot to sail over his head. Setting the plate on a nearby counter, he turned the corner in time for several thunks to sound behind him.**

"Okay, how did this Lincoln learn that, because I gotta admit, that's pretty cool." Lynn Jr complimented.

"Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if years of living in this household had given him the opportunity to learn that." Lisa remarked.

Everyone looked at Lisa, thought for a moment, before nodding in agreement and looking back at

 **He took the time to look behind him and paled.**

 **There were several knives embedded in the wall behind him.**

Lori and the older sisters grimaced. "I can't believe it. A kid that might be even worse than the Fox Quintuplets."

Leni, Luna, Luan, and even Lynn Jr. shivered. Luan even made the cross symbols.

Lincoln and the others looked at each other before shrugging.

 **Oh, and there was a shadowy figure coming right for him, making the shadows appear like ink that was spilling out of a bottle and soaking everything in the hallways into a pitch black.**

" **BACK, YOU! BACK!" Lincoln shouted as he took out the container of salt and began to throw salt at the figure.**

Everyone couldn't help giggling at that image, even if this Lincoln was basically being chased by a demon.

 **To his relief, the figure actually seemed to recoil at the salt, slowly backing away from the mineral. Still, he was left with some time to decide what to do, and he didn't have many options.**

 **Run or hide, and he doubted that the house was big enough to put any huge distance between him and the entity that no doubt had possessed Erma. At this point, he had only one option. He took a deep breath.**

 **He tossed another handful of salt at the entity, making it disappear between a corner. Quickly, he ran to the nearby stairs and up them. Up on the second floor, he quickly looked around before seeing the room he was looking for.**

 **On the door was a simple sign. "Erma."**

Everyone stared at the screen, utterly shocked.

"He's not going to…" Lola shook her head.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, mate." Luna responded.

Lori leaned back. "I don't know if that is brave or really stupid."

Lisa kept her eyes on the screen. "Which whatever one of those two are, it depends on whether or not the result was successful."

 **Racing inside, he closed the door behind him and turned off the flashlight on his phone, before forcing himself to control his breathing as he put his ear near the door and listened. He could hear nothing, and that didn't comfort him in the least. Remembering that the entity had the ability to phase through walls, he backed up from the door, before looking around in the dark room.**

 **His heart tried not to pound of his chest as he saw that Erma like puppets, the ones that his sister Luan still liked to use whenever she got a chance to get onstage. Before, they were slightly disturbing. Now, it was taking all of Lincoln's composure to not be disturbed as he silently crept to the closet door.**

"Hey, Mr. Coconuts is not creepy!" Luan protested.

"Yeah, how about you stare into his dead, wooden eyes?" Lynn Jr challenged.

"A staring contest? How am I supposed to win, Mr. Coconuts can't even blink!"

"Simple." Lola interjected. "For fifteen minutes, you can't look away from Mr. Coconuts. You win… one free prank for each one of us."

"LOLA!"

Luan looked interested. "Ooo, and if I lose?"

Lola's smile turned savage. "Then you have to prank someone else for April Fools day!"

"Ooo…" Everyone suddenly looked interested.

"Who?" Luan asked.

Lola snickered. "Oh, I'm sure that everyone here can come up with something…"

"Oh, I volunteer to watch!" Lynn Jr and Lana raised their hands.

"Alright, YOU'RE ON!" With that, the four got up and left the room.

"...Well that happened." Lincoln said.

 **Quietly opening the door, he turned his phone on and checked it out. Seemed spacious enough, even with all the extra boxes and stuff inside. Unfortunately, there was one puppet in there. Wearing a black suit and a combed back hairstyle, its soulless eyes stared into Lincoln's own.**

 **Lincoln quickly walked inside, turned the puppet's head around, before putting salt everywhere with the least amount he could. When he was done, he sat down and considered the container of salt.**

" **Gee, it's like they never even touched this thing." Lincoln whispered, before setting it aside and turning on his phone, setting the brightness to the lowest possible setting. Typing in a number, he held his breath as he heard the ringing tone.**

" **Come on… Come on…"**

' **We're sorry. There is no service available.'**

" **Dang it!" Lincoln cursed. "Come on, Lincoln. Think, think!"**

" **Oh gee, fresh meat, huh?"**

 **Lincoln froze.**

" **Come on, you really think that kid keeps normal stuff lying around."**

 **Turning on the flashlight, Lincoln looked over to his side… where the puppet was now sitting up straight, his dead wooden eyes staring at him as his jaw moved and words came out.**

" **Man, the last one was at least a little cute. Where did you get picked up from, the babysitter farm?"**

" **..."**

Everyone stared at the screen before they all came together in a group hug.

"Well, there's the subjects of my night terrors." Lisa dryly commented.

Leni nodded. "Yeah, but at least he's not like a wooden puppet spider…"

Everyone leaned away as Leni briefly screamed everyone's ear drums off.

Leni looked sheepish. "Sorry."

" **Come on, say something. As much as I hate all of humanity, I still would like someone to talk to in this dark- HEY!"**

 **Lincoln grabbed the puppet and started to bash it with his fist. Again and again, even until one of his knuckles bled. Realizing that the puppet was nowhere near destroyed, Lincoln gritted his teeth as he whipped the puppet around, smashing it into every wall he could. Looking at it again, he groaned, seeing that the puppet was still fully whole. He started trying to pull the head off futilely.**

"DO IT, BEAT IT UP!" Everyone screamed as they hoped for the puppet to be destroyed.

" **Hey, HEY! WHAT THE HECK!" The puppet shouted.**

" **I got no words for someone that possesses kids! Now stop possessing or haunting Erma, RIGHT NOW!"**

"...Then why is he still in the puppet's body? Pretty sure they would have jumped ship immediately if he could do that." Lincoln commented.

"Pretty sure your counterpart doesn't have full control of his mental faculties." Lisa responded.

"Either way, KILL IT WITH FIRE!" Lori screamed.

 **The puppet's head spun around a full 180 degrees, his jaw dropped.**

" **Are you serious? The kid, possessed?"**

 **The puppet's jaw flapped up and down uncontrollably as he laughed up a storm, Lincoln's frown still stuck on his face.**

" **You're actually serious? Listen, bub. The kid isn't possessed. All that power, all the stuff that you're seeing? It's all her."**

 **Lincoln blinked. "Wait, are you saying that Erma has powers?"**

 **The puppet rolled his eyes. "If I was possessing the kid, why would I still be in this useless body of mine?"**

"Wow, thanks for stealing our job." Luna said.

"Pretty sure if Luan was here, she would have something to say." Lisa responded.

"Hey, Leni, are you alright?" Lincoln asked a cowering Leni.

"Is the killer spider puppet dead yet?"

 **The two stared at each other, before Lincoln shoved the puppet into a nearby box and put some more boxes right on top of it. Just as he did this, the door threw open, a dark entity standing right before Lincoln, seemingly sucking what little light was left. Lincoln didn't even flinch as he shined a light at the shadowy figure, revealing Erma in the middle of the shadowy mass.**

 **Practically milliseconds passed before Erma immediately fled from the light. Lincoln got up, looking through the doorway to see a bit of shadow disappear.**

" **ERMA!" Lincoln shouted as he got out of Erma's room, before going down the stairs. As he did, shadowy hands suddenly burst through the walls, grabbing at any limbs that they could. The white haired teenager didn't stop, deftly dodging every one as he came to the first floor and looked around.**

" **ERMA, I'M NOT PLAYING AROUND!" Lincoln shouted as he passed by a mirror. Suddenly feeling like something was off, he looked back at the mirror, only to see his reflection have no eyes. Raising his eyebrow, he watched as the reflection open his mouth, his lower jaw hanging lower and lower. Lincoln didn't even mind.**

" **ERMA! THIS ISN'T EVEN SCARY ANYMORE! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"**

 **The shadowy mass burst out of the ground in front of him, raising its arms threateningly at him.**

 **Lincoln pointed the flashlight at the shadows.**

 **Erma stood there, her own arms raised up, her expression covered by her hair. The two stared at each other, Lincoln looking visibly unimpressed. Erma seemingly stared back, before shaking her arms.**

"Wow, this me has guts." Lincoln whistled.

"Yeah, pretty sure I would have booked it as soon as possible." Lori admitted, with everyone else agreeing.

 **The teenager sighed.**

" **Erma, enough." Lincoln said as he backed away, keeping his eyes on Erma. His hand fumbled around for a bit before he found the light switch. Flipping it on, the house was bathed in light again, and Erma seemed to calm down, just standing there.**

 **Lincoln sighed as he tried to think of what to do now. Now that he actually had time to calm down and think, he knew that he didn't really have any ability to punish Erma. After all, he was just the babysitter.**

Everyone thought about that logic before shrugging, not really feeling any actual effort to argue otherwise.

 **Not to mention, actually staring at her, he had almost forgotten she was a five year old girl. Sure, a five year old girl with powerful supernatural powers, but still just a five year old. Heck, when he thought about it, Lisa was a lot like Erma when she was her age.**

 **With that said, Lisa should never know about Erma. The confrontation between the two would probably bring in the big property damage numbers. Wait a second… damage?**

 **Lincoln looked at a nearby wall and groaned as he saw the knives sticking out of it. Peeking into the kitchen, he cringed harder when he saw all the kitchenware strewn all over the place. He looked back at Erma.**

" **Okay, Erma. How about this? I'm gonna go clean up all the salt I've been throwing around. Meanwhile, you clean up the kitchen. When you do, I promise I'll order pizza tonight for dinner, okay?"**

 **Erma merely nodded before levitating all the kitchenware to their places. Lincoln blinked.**

The six stared at the screen.

"How fast our fear turns to envy when we see Erma use her powers more practically." Lisa dryly commented, with the others agreeing.

"Is the puppet spider gone?" Leni peeked from behind her fingers. Lincoln patted her on the shoulders.

"Yes, the puppet spiders are gone."

" **That's pretty useful… Hey, Erma? Do you know where your parents keep their vacuum cleaner?"**

 **Erma pointed to a nearby closet. Lincoln opened it and found the machine he needed.**

" **Thank you." He said, plugging in the machine and vacuuming the salt that was left on the floor. Disconnecting the vacuum cleaner, he went upstairs and repeated the same thing in Erma's room, also taking the time to make sure the live puppet was still in the box that he was under. After checking everything, Lincoln nodded his head and went downstairs.**

 **Putting the vacuum cleaner back into the closet, Lincoln checked the kitchen again and saw that the place was spotless. He whistled. "Boy, would have liked to have your powers when spring cleaning comes around."**

 **Erma didn't say anything, just sitting at the table with her head down.**

"...Is it me, or am I actually feeling sad for Erma?" Lincoln questioned.

"It's not just you. I mean, Erma's still a little girl… a scary little girl, but a little girl." Leni explained.

 **Lincoln frowned. Maybe it had been the time that he spent around Lucy, but something told him that something was bothering Erma, the silence somehow having a sad air to it. He quickly picked the phone and turned to the long haired girl.**

" **Hey Erma, you want anything on the pizza?"**

" **..."**

" **Pepperoni, extra cheese…"**

" **..."**

" **Spiders?"**

Luan covered Leni's mouth before she could scream.

" **..."**

 **Lincoln sighed and punched in the number and waited for the phone to ring. As the pizza parlor picked up and asked for his order, he told the address before started ordering. "Yeah, I would have a medium pepperoni."**

" **Okay, that will be about $10.50."**

 **Lincoln nodded. "Great, how long do you think it will take?"**

" **Give us about 30 minutes."**

" **Okay, sounds great. Thank you."**

" **Yeah, thanks for ordering at Little Mario's."**

 **The phone clicked, signaling the end of the phone call. Hanging the phone, Lincoln looked over. Erma sat there like she wasn't excited at the prospect of pizza, which was straight up mind boggling. Taking a seat next to the little girl, he looked around awkwardly for a bit, before speaking up.**

" **So, Erma… We got some time before the pizza comes."**

" **..."**

' **Alright Lincoln, think. This is a little girl who's not your ordinary little girl. Probably is like Lucy.'**

" **You want to show your doll collection? You must have named some of them."**

" **..."**

" **You want to watch a scary movie? I'm down." 'Don't show fear. Don't show fear.'**

" **..."**

" **You have a Ouija board? We could try contacting your friends from the other side. I mean, you must have made a few, right?"**

" **..."**

 **Lincoln sighed, leaning back in his chair as he tried to think. 'Okay, think. She's a little girl who doesn't know any better. Come to think of it, this is starting to remind me of the time I had to take care of the Kubrick twins. Wait a minute…'**

" **Are you… bummed that you couldn't scare me?"**

"Well, she is a ghost girl."

"AHHH!" Everyone screamed, siding away from Lucy, before relaxing.

"Sorry, Lucy, kinda forget that you were there." Lincoln explained.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it."

 **Erma nodded, and Lincoln frowned as he tried to think of something to remedy Erma's mood. Then he got an idea. "Hey, Erma. I have an idea to cheer you up."**

 **A few minutes later, Lincoln sat at the table, his lips pursed as he heard the doorbell ring.**

" **Come on, man." The pizza man muttered as he rang the bell. "Hurry up and get your pizza."**

' **Three…two...one.'**

" **I've got other orders I've got to - AHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

"...Not sure I like Lincoln's way of cheering Erma." Lori admitted.

"Yeah, pretty sure this is just reinforcing Erma's behavior." Luna added.

 **As soon as the pizza boy stopped screaming, Lincoln sprang up from his seat and ran over to the door, throwing it open and taking a deep breath as he made a show of digging in his pocket. "Sorry about that, man. Was on the phone. Here's the money."**

 **He looked up and blinked. "Dude, you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."**

"Oh, that's a Luan joke right there." Lucy cringed.

Lincoln thought for a moment, before nodding.

 **The pale and shivering man flinched at the mention of ghost.**

" **Y-Y-Yeah, here's your pizza and your change." The man practically threw both box and money at Lincoln before immediately running back to his car. Once inside, he gunned the engine and took off, his tires screeching as he disappeared into the night. Lincoln stood there, blinking at the sheer speed before he went back inside.**

" **Geez," Lincoln raised an eyebrow as Erma reappeared next to the table before she took a seat. "What did you do to the guy?"**

 **Erma's hair suddenly grew to envelop her as she waved her arms threateningly. Lincoln stared at her before she returned to her base form. "Huh. Okay, got it out of your system?"**

 **Erma looked like she was pondering for a moment, before several objects fell from the ceiling.**

"AHHH!"

"Wicked."

" **GAH!" Lincoln screamed, suddenly finding himself surrounded by puppets. Stumbling back, he put a hand over his heart, feeling the rapid beating. As he forced himself to calm down, he looked over at Erma.**

 **The little girl was silently laughing, joyfully taking a bite of pepperoni. Lincoln sighed as he took his seat again and took his own slice of pepperoni, taking a big bite out of it.**

" **You get one, Erma." Lincoln said around a mouthful of pizza. "You get one."**

"My heart can't take anymore of this." Lori complained.

 **Erma was playing with a makeshift doll in the living room while Lincoln puzzled over a problem on his homework in the dining room.**

 **Then the little girl came over and tugged on Lincoln's shirt. The teenager looked up from his homework and looked at Erma, raising an eyebrow. The little girl lifted up her doll, which now that Lincoln got a better look at it, seemed kind of familiar.**

 **Erma then got out a needle before driving it into the eye of the doll.**

" **OW!" Lincoln looked over at the window, a little worried where that scream came from.**

 **Erma just smiled.**

"Truly, my dream client." Lucy grinned.

 **A few more minutes later, Lincoln was working on his homework some more when Erma tugged on his clothes again. Looking down, he saw that she had a box full of tapes along with a tape player and a tape rewinder. Erma looked up at him and tilted her head.**

" **Oh, these were video tapes." Lincoln said as he got down his knees and started to look at the movies. Classic horror movies from the 70s and 80s, of course. "Before DVD, these used to be the ones that people recorded movies and…"**

 **Lincoln blinked as he took out one tape from its box and looked at it. Instead of two spools of film on the tape as he was familiar with, there was one giant one instead. The teenager whistled.**

" **Woah...I thought these were just legends…"**

 **Erma looked at him confused.**

" **The fabled Betamax…"**

Everyone stared at the screen before looking at each other.

"What's Betamax?"

Everyone shrugged.

 **After Lincoln set up the videoplayer, the two sat down in the living room to watch a scary movie. Lincoln did his best to not scream in terror, every once in a while discreetly looking at Erma. Erma simply laughed, having the time of her life.**

 **Eventually, even her energy couldn't sustain her, and Lincoln noticed his charge's head drooping regularly. Trying not to rejoice, Lincoln got up and paused the movie before turning off the TV. Erma looked like she wanted to protest, but she simply was too tired to put up much of a fuss.**

" **Alright, time to go to bed." Lincoln said.**

 **The two went upstairs. Lincoln leaned on the doorway as Erma brushed her teeth, using her powers to levitate the brush. Finally, the two entered Erma's bedroom, and Lincoln watched as Erma crawled underneath her bed.**

" **Erma?" Lincoln asked as he came over and lifted the bed skirt, checking the underneath.**

 **The little girl curled under the bed, a pillow and a blanket already there. Lincoln smiled as he got up and walked over to the doorway. Finger hovering over the light switch, he looked back and smiled.**

" **Good night, Erma."**

 **With that, the lights were turned off.**

"...That was sickeningly sweet that I think I'm going to hurl." Lucy commented.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"BOOYAH! I WIN!" Luan grinned as she held Mr. Coconuts in her hands.

"WHAT?!" Everyone screamed as Lynn Jr and the twins slinked back into the room, utterly defeated.

"Oh yeah, prepare yourselves. I'm going to make full use...he he, HAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAH!" Luan laughed maniacally, before calming down.

"Now, excuse me while I put Mr. Coconuts here somewhere safe… really safe… after all, if I can't see him, then he can't see me…"

Luan went out of the room, while everyone stared in horror.

"Okay, I'm really scared now…"

* * *

Inspiration - Erma (webcomic)


	14. Powder Keg of Justice

So someone approached me, asking if they could do some guest chapters.

So I was thinking, you guys wanna try submitting your own? Tell me yes or no?

And because I hate chapters that are only just author notes, here's a short chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Loud House.

* * *

As the group watched the screen turn on for another session, Lincoln spoke up. "Hey, you guys feel like we're forgetting something?"

Everyone paused for a moment, before shrugging.

"Yeah, maybe we'll remember after this session." Luna said as the screen changed.

 **Grown up versions of Liam, Rusty, and Zach fell back, breathing heavily. Liam wore leather armor and boots with a green cape over his shoulder. Rusty looked like your stereotypical fantasy barbarian, his short tattered pants revealing his chiseled physique. Finally, Zach was dressed in a blue robe, with a large wizard hat being set on the ground.**

Everyone but Lincoln stared at the screen before they started laughing their heads off. Lincoln stayed quiet as he got up and paused the screen. He leaned against the console as everyone slowly gained control of themselves.

"Oh, my brave heroes, having come far and wide!" Lola mockingly swooned. "Take me into your big strong arms!"

"No offense, Lincoln, but imagining your nerd friends like this… BWA HAHAHAHA!" Lynn Jr couldn't control herself and fell back laughing.

"Boy, bet that version of your friend is an English major. I hear he's very particular about his SPELLing!" Luan began laughing harder as everyone groaned.

"Dang it, Luan." Lana groaned.

"You know, now that I take a second look at it, you think you could invite your friend Liam over? I actually don't think his outfit looks that bad on him." Leni said as she took out a notebook and starting taking notes.

"Hey, what do you think they're even doing in a place like this?" Lucy asked.

"Come on, Luce, just let us have this before the brutal stuff starts happening." Luna begged.

Lincoln resumed the playing.

 **Sitting in the middle of the abandoned barn, there was a regular looking old man who sneered at them. Despite being covered in his blood and one of his toes seemed to be shorter than the others, his sneer might as well have been the full moon on a cloudless night. He also was wearing a necklace with an ominous looking symbol that looked vaguely religious, the effect doubled so covered in the man's blood.**

Lori sighed. "Too late."

Lynn Jr turned green. "Geez, what did they do to this guy?"

"Judging from the amulet that he is wearing, I would probably guess that he is a member of some demonic cult." Lucy guessed.

"Still, a little brutal, mate." Luna shivered.

Luan's eyes looked carefully at the short toe the guy had before paling. "Oh my god, I think they cut off his toe!"

Lincoln leaned back. It was one thing to see yourself doing terrible things. It was honestly another thing to see your friends doing the same thing. Still, where was Clyde in all this?

" **You fools, do whatever you like. The will of our dark god shall come to fruition. Squirm in futility as our lord's grasp controls the human sheep of this kingdom through the bread they eat and the water they drink. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME! HAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!"**

"And that is why science will be superior to magic." Lisa said snidely. "You can have your fireballs and summoning, but magic will always pale to the wonders of science."

"Pretty sure magic doesn't care if you have water filtration." Lana pointed out.

" **This guy ain't cracking." Liam frowned. "Any of you fellers got anymore bright ideas?"**

 **Rusty shook his head. "I got nothing...Unless you want to try 'punching him harder.'"**

"Huh, that didn't work? Usually works for me." Lynn Jr scratched her head.

The rest of her sisters grumbled.

 **Zach reached inside his robes and pulled out a book before he began searching through the pages.**

" **I could try ripping the info out of his head, but then we'll run the risk of mind crushing him!"**

"...Science is still better." Lisa said. "Though I wouldn't having the ability to do that to some neanderthals…"

 **Liam and Rusty looked at each other. "Let's take another five minutes. If we can't do anything in that time, we'll have to do it."**

 **It was at this point that the door opened and someone stumbled inside. Dressed in fine armor with a symbol that looked vaguely religious, it clashed with the drunken expression on grown up Lincoln's face as he looked around, taking in the scene. He then raised the jug of booze and drank heavily from it, excess alcohol escaping his mouth and running down his chin.**

 **The jug left his mouth, soon followed by a loud belch.**

"...Wow, what a hero." Lola grimaced.

"Hey, what's even everyone supposed to be?" Leni couldn't help asking.

"Well, looking from their clothes and seeing that we are in a setting with, I think that Liam is a ranger, Rusty is a barbarian, Zach's a wizard and I'm a paladin… Wait, why am I drinking?" Lincoln contemplated.

"...NERD!" Lynn Jr shouted.

" **So...did you guys get anything with your torture?"**

" **...Not really." Zach admitted.**

 **Lincoln sighed. "Typical. If you're going to do this, you gotta do it right."**

 **He wondered around the barn, before getting a chair and setting it in front of the man, the back of the chair facing him. Lincoln sat down, his arms rested on the back of the chair before he laid his chin on top of it. He clinically looked the man over, taking note of any serious bruising and injuries.**

 **"I don't want to hurt you I just need to know the locations of your brethren, then this can be all over for you. I assure you, the moment that you tell us, I will make sure you are safe and cared for."**

"Huh, good cop and bad cop routine, huh?" Lola commented. "A little trite, but it could work."

Lori looked at Lola. "Everyday I have to ask myself where you keep getting stuff like that."

 **The man stared at Lincoln for a while, before a small chuckle escaped his lips. It grew and grew, until the man was outright guffawing, his belly heaving with some squirts of red every now and then. Finally, the man calmed down, an evil gleam in his eye.**

" **HA! What do I have to fear from you? I know you, Sir Lincoln the Lionhearted Paladin. Your order, your God won't allow you to lay your hands on me. If you even touch a hair on my head wrathfully, you will lose your powers and your ability to fight! WHAT CAN YOU DO?!"**

"Lincoln, what does he mean by that? You're the nerd." Leni asked.

"Ignoring that one, Paladins usually have to abide by some code from their god in order to get their powers." Lincoln explained.

"So should they stray from his path… they will become powerless." Lucy realized.

"You mean that Lincoln has to help that jerk, otherwise he can't do anything? That stinks." Lana complained.

 **Lincoln didn't even react to the man's taunts. He simply stared and allowed the man's mad laughter to subside. Liam, Rusty, and Zach started to come over before Lincoln held up a hand.**

 **He sighed.**

 **"You seem to be under the misconception about what I am, what I do. I am a paladin, but I don't fear falling…"**

 **His drunkenness seemed to recede like the tide, his eyes now shining with a dark light.**

" **I look forward to it."**

Silence reigned over the room as everyone leaned back.

"Okay, I got chills from that one." Luan admitted.

"Join the club." Lola agreed.

 **The man blinked, unsure and a little nervous at that statement. He looked over at the three. Liam, Rusty, and Zach looked just as lost. The man opened his mouth, but Lincoln cut him off.**

 **"As a paladin, I walk on a razor's edge. Not between good and evil, I could never be something like you, but between 'law' and 'justice'. The 'law' I follow doesn't permit me to harm you, but I could be 'justified' in anything I did to you in order to save innocent lives."**

"A dangerous philosophy." Lisa adjusted her glasses.

"Pretty sure you're the last one to talk, Lisa." Lincoln sniped.

"What do you mean by that?" Lisa couldn't help asking.

Everyone looked at Lisa with a raised eyebrow.

 **He exploded into motion, standing up and grabbing the chair in one motion. Lincoln hurled the chair into the wall, the wood shattering into a million pieces with the sound of thunder. Everyone in the room flinched, before the cultist realized that Lincoln was looking back at him.**

 **For the first time in forever, the cultist felt fear.**

" **ANYTHING!"**

 **Like a panther stalking his prey, Lincoln walked up to the cultist, anger and rage starting to make themselves clear in his eyes.**

 **"You don't know what it is like to be me. You don't know the pain of having to store all your anger, all your fury, all your sense of justice, and hold it inside you, all day every day for the rest of your life. Doing the right thing doesn't mean I get to stop all evil, I just get to trim it when it becomes overgrown. The path I walk is not about vengeance, or what's right; it's about moderation in the face of power, restraint and compassion for scum. just. like. You."**

"Okay, this Lincoln is getting scary." Lynn Jr hugged herself.

 **Suddenly, Lincoln pushed the chair over, the cultist shouting in shock before hitting the ground. Scant seconds passed before Lincoln straddled the man's chest. Grabbing the man's shoulders, Lincoln started to squeeze, looking like he was trying to rip the flesh straight from bone. The cultist started to hiss in pain, his terrified eyes keeping Lincoln in his sight.**

"No kidding." Lori said as she patted Leni on the back, who had her eyes closed tight.

 **"This is why paladins don't fear falling. We don't spend all day looking for ways to prevent ourselves from doing evil and giving in to the darkness - we actively seek it out. Every time we face evil, we ask ourselves, 'Is this the threat that I'm going to give it all up for? Is this what I am going to give up my ability to help others in the future, in order to bring it down now. Is this the evil that I am willing to forsake my God and my power to stop?!'".**

 **With that, Lincoln stared down the man, their noses almost touching.**

 **"What you should be asking yourself now, what you really need to be thinking about, is: 'Is what I'm doing something that will make this guy want to fall?' Because you should know that once I fall, all those rules which protect you from me are gone. No longer will I be able to be stopped by you, or by my order, or by my God. If I give everything, and I mean give everything, I will never stop. If you escape me today, I will hunt you down and grab you into the pits of hell myself. Even if that means that I have to invoke the wrath of every demon in creation, just so they throw open a pit and drag me down where I stand, because when they do drag me down, I will make sure that my fists are wrapped firmly around your ankles and you go down with me. I want you to listen to me now, and I mean really listen, because Hell truly hath no fury like a paladin scorned."**

"How has this guy decided not to spill the beans yet? I would be singing like a canary." Lincoln said.

 **With that said, Lincoln put the chair upright. He still stared the cultist down before continuing to talk.**

 **"So I ask you, one last time: tell me where the other rituals are being held, or I swear to all on high that I will fall, and fall hard, just so I can show you why paladins truly keep their code..."**

 **The scene shifted.**

 **Lincoln lifted his eyes from a tabletop where figurines, character sheets, and dice laid strewn about. Liam, Rusty, and Zach stared at him from their seats while Clyde stared at him from behind the DM screen. Silence reigned over the table.**

 **Looking around, Lincoln finally picked up the dice.**

" **I like to roll intimidate."**

Everyone stared at the screen, before they flipped out.

"YOU WERE JUST PLAYING A DUMB GAME?!" Lynn Jr put her hands on her face. "That was movie worthy! MOVIE WORTHY! And it's just for some dumb dungeons and dice monsters or whatever!"

"Kinda takes the epicness out of the whole thing, doesn't it?" Luan sighed.

"Definitely." Lucy agreed.


End file.
